A Novel GaN:C Millimeter-Wave HEMT with AlGaN Electron-Blocking Layer

You-Chen Weng; Yueh-Chin Lin; Heng-Tung Hsu; Min-Lu Kao; Hsuan-Yao Huang; Daisuke Ueda; Minh-Thien-Huu Ha; Chih-Yi Yang; Jer-Shen Maa; Edward-Yi Chang; Chang-Fu Dee

doi:10.3390/ma15030703

A Novel GaN:C Millimeter-Wave HEMT with AlGaN Electron-Blocking Layer

Materials (Basel). 2022 Jan 18;15(3):703. doi: 10.3390/ma15030703.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ College of Photonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Tainan 71150, Taiwan.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan.
³ International College of Semiconductor Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Electronics Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan.
⁵ Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Level 4, Research Complex, Bangi 43600, Malaysia.

Abstract

An AlGaN/GaN/Si high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) using a GaN:C buffer with a 2 nm AlGaN electron-blocking layer (EBL) is investigated for the first time for millimeter-wave applications. Compared with the double heterostructure field effect transistor (DHFET), the AlGaN/GaN HEMT with the GaN:C/EBL buffer has a lower vertical leakage, higher thermal stability, and better RF performance. In addition, AlGaN EBL can prevent carbon-related traps from GaN:C and improve electron confinement in 2DEG during high-frequency operation. Finally, a P_out of 31.2 dBm with PAE of 21.7% were measured at 28 GHz at 28 V. These results demonstrated the great potential of HEMTs using GaN:C with AlGaN EBL epitaxy technology for millimeter-wave applications.

Keywords: GaN; HEMT; electron-blocking layer.