Field plate structural optimization for enhancing the power gain of GaN-based HEMTs

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/22/9/097303

Abstract A novel source-connected field plate structure, featuring the same photolithography mask as the gate electrode, is proposed as an improvement over the conventional field plate (FP) techniques to enhance the frequency performance in GaN-based HEMTs. The influences of the field plate on frequency and breakdown performance are investigated simultaneously by using a two-dimensional physics-based simulation. Compared with the conventional T-gate structures with a field plate length of 1.2 μm, this field plate structure can induce the small signal power gain at 10 GHz to increase by 5-9.5 dB, which depends on the distance between source FP and dramatically shortened gate FP. This technique minimizes the parasitic capacitances, especially the gate-to-drain capacitance, showing a substantial potential for millimeter-wave, high power applications.

Keywords: GaN-based HEMTs breakdown characteristics field plates power gain

Received: 05 February 2013
Revised: 26 March 2013
Accepted manuscript online:

PACS:	73.40.Kp	(III-V semiconductor-to-semiconductor contacts, p-n junctions, and heterojunctions)
	73.61.Ey	(III-V semiconductors)
	85.30.Tv	(Field effect devices)

Fund: Project supported by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, China (Grant No. NCET-12-0915), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61106106), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. K5051225013).

Corresponding Authors: Ma Xiao-Hua
E-mail: xhma@xidian.edu.cn

Cite this article:

Zhang Kai (张凯), Cao Meng-Yi (曹梦逸), Lei Xiao-Yi (雷晓艺), Zhao Sheng-Lei (赵胜雷), Yang Li-Yuan (杨丽媛), Zheng Xue-Feng (郑雪峰), Ma Xiao-Hua (马晓华), Hao Yue (郝跃) Field plate structural optimization for enhancing the power gain of GaN-based HEMTs 2013 Chin. Phys. B 22 097303

[1]	Karmalkar S and Mishra U K 2001 IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 48 1515
[2]	Saito W, Takada Y, Kuraguchi M, Tsuda K, Omura I, Ogura T and Ohashi H 2003 IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 50 2528
[3]	Xing H, Dora Y, Chini A, Heikman S, Keller S and Mishra U K 2004 IEEE Electron Device Lett. 25 161
[4]	Ando Y, Okamoto Y, Miamoto H, Nakayama T, Inoue T and Kuzuhara M 2003 IEEE Electron Device Lett. 24 289
[5]	Saito W, Kakiuchi Y, Nitta T, Saito Y, Noda T, Fujimoto H, Yoshioka A, Ohno T and Yamaguchi M 2010 IEEE Electron Device Lett. 31 659
[6]	Yang L, Hu G Z, Hao Y, Ma X H, Quan S, Yang L Y and Jiang S G 2010 Chin. Phys. B 19 047301
[7]	Wu Y F, Moore M, Saxler A, Wisleder T and Parikh P 2006 Device Research Conference, June 26-28, 2006, PA, USA, p. 151
[8]	Okamoto Y, Ando Y, Nakayama T, Hataya K, Miyamoto H, Inoue T, Sendaand M, Hirata K, Kosaki M, Shibata N and Kuzuhara M 2004 IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 51 2217
[9]	Dora Y, Chakraborty A, McCarthy L, Keller S, DenBaars S P and Mishra U K 2006 IEEE Electron Device Lett. 27 713
[10]	Pei Y, Chen Z, Brown D, Keller S, DenBaars S P and Mishra U K 2009 IEEE Electron Device Lett. 30 328
[11]	Zhang K, Cao M Y, Chen Y H, Yang L Y, Wang C, Ma X H and Hao Y 2013 Chin. Phys. B 22 057304
[12]	Xie G, Edward X, Lee J, Hashemi N, Zhang B, Fu F Y and Ng W T 2012 IEEE Electron Device Lett. 33 670
[13]	Ando Y, Wakejima A, Okamoto Y, Nakayama T, Ota K, Yamanoguchi K, Murase Y, Kasahara K, Matsunaga K, Inoue T, Miyamoto H and Miyamoto H 2005 IEDM Tech. Dig. 576
[14]	Eldad B T, Hilt O, Brunner F, Sidorov V, Würfl J and Günther T 2010 IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 57 1208
[15]	Dambrine G, Cappy A, Heliodore F and Playez E 1988 IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 36 1151
[16]	Brannick A, Zakhleniuk N A, Ridley B K, James R, Shealy W, Schaff J and Lester F E 2009 IEEE Electron Device Lett. 30 436

[1]	Improvements in reverse breakdown characteristics of THz GaAs Schottky barrier varactor based on metal-brim structure Lu-Wei Qi(祁路伟), Xiao-Yu Liu(刘晓宇), Jin Meng(孟进), De-Hai Zhang(张德海), Jing-Tao Zhou(周静涛). Chin. Phys. B, 2020, 29(5): 057306.
[2]	Improved performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMT by N₂O plasma pre-treatment Mi Min-Han (宓珉瀚), Zhang Kai (张凯), Zhao Sheng-Lei (赵胜雷), Wang Chong (王冲), Zhang Jin-Cheng (张进成), Ma Xiao-Hua (马晓华), Hao Yue (郝跃). Chin. Phys. B, 2015, 24(2): 027303.
[3]	Non-recessed-gate quasi-E-mode double heterojunction AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor with high breakdown voltage Mi Min-Han (宓珉瀚), Zhang Kai (张凯), Chen Xing (陈兴), Zhao Sheng-Lei (赵胜雷), Wang Chong (王冲), Zhang Jin-Cheng (张进成), Ma Xiao-Hua (马晓华), Hao Yue (郝跃). Chin. Phys. B, 2014, 23(7): 077304.
[4]	4H-SiC Schottky barrier diodes with semi-insulating polycrystalline silicon field plate termination Yuan Hao (袁昊), Tang Xiao-Yan (汤晓燕), Zhang Yi-Men (张义门), Zhang Yu-Ming (张玉明), Song Qing-Wen (宋庆文), Yang Fei (杨霏), Wu Hao (吴昊). Chin. Phys. B, 2014, 23(5): 057102.
[5]	Improvement of breakdown characteristics of AlGaN/GaN HEMT with U-type gate foot for millimeter-wave power application Kong Xin (孔欣), Wei Ke (魏珂), Liu Guo-Guo (刘果果), Liu Xin-Yu (刘新宇). Chin. Phys. B, 2012, 21(12): 128501.
[6]	Breakdown voltage model and structure realization of a thin silicon layer with linear variable doping on a silicon on insulator high voltage device with multiple step field plates Qiao Ming (乔明), Zhuang Xiang (庄翔), Wu Li-Juan (吴丽娟), Zhang Wen-Tong (章文通), Wen Heng-Juan (温恒娟), Zhang Bo (张波), Li Zhao-Ji (李肇基). Chin. Phys. B, 2012, 21(10): 108502.

No Suggested Reading articles found!

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Metrics
Related Articles

Field plate structural optimization for enhancing the power gain of GaN-based HEMTs

Cite this article:

Online attention