Electrical performances of AlInN/GaN HEMTs. A comparison with AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with similar technological process

Abstract

A study of the electrical performances of AlInN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) on SiC substrates is presented in this paper. Four different wafers with different technological and epitaxial processes were characterized. Thanks to intensive characterizations as pulsed-IV, [S]-parameters, and load-pull measurements from S to Ku bands, it is demonstrated here that AlInN/GaN HEMTs show excellent power performances and constitute a particularly interesting alternative to AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, especially for high-frequency applications beyond the X band. The measured transistors with 250 nm gate lengths from different wafers delivered in continuous wave (cw): 10.8 W/mm with 60% associated power added efficiency (PAE) at 3,5 GHz, 6.6 W/mm with 39% associated PAE at 10.24 GHz, and 4.2 W/mm with 43% associated PAE at 18 GHz.

Record-low contact resistance for InAlN/AlN/GaN high electron mobility transistors on Si with non-gold metal

“…Thus far, the lowest R c values of 0.15 25,26) and 0.16 Ω-mm 9) were obtained using SiCl 4 recess etching and regrown n + -GaN on InAlN/AlN/GaN HEMT structures, respectively, on SiC substrates.…”

“…comparable to that of the gold-based ohmic contacts. Table II shows the best reported R c values of conventional gold ohmic contacts for InAlN/AlN/GaN HEMTs on Si and SiC substrates [9][10][11][12][24][25][26][27] .…”

AlInGaN/GaN HEMTs With High Johnson’s Figure-of-Merit on Low Resistivity Silicon Substrate

“…For instance, Dumka et al obtained over 65% PAE in a 0.25 m T-gate GaN on HR-Si HEMTs, having a field plate in the high field source-drain region [20]. Jardel et al reported Pout of 6.6 W/mm with PAE of 51% at 10 GHz in a multi-finger 8 x 0.75 m GaN on Si HEMTs [21]. Nonetheless, our intension of this part is to compare RF power performances of GaN HEMT grown on LR and HR silicon substrates on the same scale.…”

An analytical model for the current voltage characteristics of GaN-capped AlGaN/GaN and AlInN/GaN HEMTs including thermal and self-heating effects

“…In the lattice-matched Al0.83In0.17N/GaN heterostructure, there is no mechanical constraint in the epitaxial structures, which reduces strain-defects related relaxation problems. Moreover, higher sheet carrier density can be induced by the large spontaneous polarization even without piezoelectric polarization, and these transistors show superior performance compared to the conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs [8,9]. Recently, a heavily doped n-GaN cap layer has been employed to improve high-frequency performance and to reduce access and ohmic contact resistances.…”