On-state and off-state breakdown voltages in GaAs PHEMTs with various field-plate and gate-recess extension structures

Hsien Chin Chiu*, Chia Shih Cheng

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

GaAs pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistors (PHEMTs) with various field-plate (FP) and gate-recess (GR) extensions were fabricated. Their on-state resistance Ron, breakdown voltage, flicker noise, and microwave characteristics were investigated. The FP length and GR width extensions can be controlled to improve significantly the breakdown voltage of PHEMTs. The design-of-experiment approach was employed with 16 transistors. The FP length extension was found to improve efficiently the off-state breakdown voltage BVoff because of its suppression of the thermionic-field emission of gate electrons. However, an FP-induced depletion region cannot easily suppress channel impact ionization, which dominates the on-state breakdown voltage BVon. Additionally, the FP length extension reduces the flicker noise of a device that is caused by surface states. The GR width extension has an opposite effect, because the exposed area of the uncap Schottky layer exposure increases with the GR width.

Original languageEnglish
Article number5398912
Pages (from-to)186-188
Number of pages3
JournalIEEE Electron Device Letters
Volume31
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 03 2010

Keywords

  • Breakdown voltage
  • Field plate (FP)
  • Flicker noise
  • Gate recess (GR)
  • OIP
  • Pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistor (PHEMT)

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