Publications

Abstract not provided.

GaN-based microwave power amplifiers have been identified as critical components in Sandia's next generation micro-Synthetic-Aperture-Radar (SAR) operating at X-band and Ku-band (10-18 GHz). To miniaturize SAR, GaN-based amplifiers are necessary to replace bulky traveling wave tubes. Specifically, for micro-SAR development, highly reliable GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), which have delivered a factor of 10 times improvement in power performance compared to GaAs, need to be developed. Despite the great promise of GaN HEMTs, problems associated with nitride materials growth currently limit gain, linearity, power-added-efficiency, reproducibility, and reliability. These material quality issues are primarily due to heteroepitaxial growth of GaN on lattice mismatched substrates. Because SiC provides the best lattice match and thermal conductivity, SiC is currently the substrate of choice for GaN-based microwave amplifiers. Obviously for GaN-based HEMTs to fully realize their tremendous promise, several challenges related to GaN heteroepitaxy on SiC must be solved. For this LDRD, we conducted a concerted effort to resolve materials issues through in-depth research on GaN/AlGaN growth on SiC. Repeatable growth processes were developed which enabled basic studies of these device layers as well as full fabrication of microwave amplifiers. Detailed studies of the GaN and AlGaN growth of SiC were conducted and techniques to measure the structural and electrical properties of the layers were developed. Problems that limit device performance were investigated, including electron traps, dislocations, the quality of semi-insulating GaN, the GaN/AlGaN interface roughness, and surface pinning of the AlGaN gate. Surface charge was reduced by developing silicon nitride passivation. Constant feedback between material properties, physical understanding, and device performance enabled rapid progress which eventually led to the successful fabrication of state of the art HEMT transistors and amplifiers.

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We report micro-Raman studies of self-heating in an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor using below (visible 488.0 nm) and near (UV 363.8 nm) GaN band-gap excitation. The shallow penetration depth of the UV light allows us to measure temperature rise ({Delta}T) in the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) region of the device between drain and source. Visible light gives the average {Delta}T in the GaN layer, and that of the SiC substrate, at the same lateral position. Combined, we depth profile the self-heating. Measured {Delta}T in the 2DEG is consistently over twice the average GaN-layer value. Electrical and thermal transport properties are simulated. We identify a hotspot, located at the gate edge in the 2DEG, as the prevailing factor in the self-heating.

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We report on the dc performance of GaN pnp bipolar junction transistors. The structure was grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on c-plane sapphire substrates and mesas formed by low damage inductively coupled plasma etching with a Cl2/Ar chemistry. The dc characteristics were measured up to VBC of 65 V in the common base mode and at temperatures up to 250 °C. Under all conditions, IC-IE, indicating higher emitter injection efficiency. The offset voltage was ≤ 2 V and the devices were operated up to power densities of 40 kW cm-2. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract not provided.

The progress in the fabrication of high voltage GaN and AlGaN rectifiers, GaN/AlGaN HBT and GaN MOSFET is reviewed. Improvements in epitaxial layer quality are studied. The advances in fabrication techniques that led to the improvement of device performance are discussed.

We have demonstrated the dc and rf characteristics of a novel p-n-p GaAs/InGaAsN/GaAs double heterojunction bipolar transistor. This device has near ideal current-voltage (I-V) characteristics with a current gain greater than 45. The smaller bandgap energy of the InGaAsN base has led to a device turn-on voltage that is 0.27 V lower than in a comparable p-n-p AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor. This device has shown f T and f MAX values of 12 GHz. In addition, the aluminum-free emitter structure eliminates issues typically associated with AlGaAs.

A new class of semiconductor lasers that can potentially produce much more short pulse energy is presented. This new laser is not limited in volume or aspect ratio by the depth of a p-n junction and are created from current filaments in semi-insulating GaAs. A current filament semiconductor lasers (CFSL) that have produced 75 nJ of 890 nm radiation in 1.5 ns were tested. A filaments as long as 3.4 cm and several hundred microns in diameter in high gain GaAs photoconductive switches were observed. Their smallest dimension can be more than 100 times the carrier diffusion length in GaAs. The spectral narrowing, lasing thresholds, beam divergence, temporal narrowing and energies which imply lasing for several configurations of CFSL are reported.

The performance capabilities of pnp InGaAsN-based heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for use in complementary HBT technology have been theoretically addressed with a two-dimensional simulation program based on the drift-diffusion model. Simulation results closely reproduce the DC characteristics experimentally observed from the first demonstrated pnp AlGaAs/InGaAsN HBT with a current gain of 18 and a turn-on voltage around 0.89 V. Numerous design approaches have been explored to maximize the transistor performances. As a result, a substantial improvement of the DC current gain (by a factor of 2-3) and high-frequency operation performances (with fT and fMAX values up to 10 GHz) can be easily achieved with the proper use of varying base thickness XB and dopant-graded base. The effect of the quaternary band-gap value EG is also addressed. Simulation results show that pnp device with turn-on voltage approximately 0.7 V can be produced by lowering EG to 1.0 eV, without any important degradation of DC and RF properties, because hole transport at the emitter/base side is not strongly affected. The replacement of the InGaAsN collector by GaAs is finally reported. Comparable DC and improved RF simulated performances are observed from this double HBT structure that takes advantages of the negligible valence band offset at the base/collector interface. These encouraging performances demonstrate the practicability of using InGaAsN-based HBTs for complementary low-power applications.

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The authors demonstrate, for the first time, both functional Pnp AlGaAs/InGaAsN/GaAs (Pnp InGaAsN) and Npn InGaP/InGaAsN/GaAs (Npn InGaAsN) double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs) using a 1.2 eV In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01} as the base layer for low-power electronic applications. The Pnp InGaAsN DHBT has a peak current gain ({beta}) of 25 and a low turn-on voltage (V{sub ON}) of 0.79 V. This low V{sub ON} is {approximately} 0.25 V lower than in a comparable Pnp AlGAAs/GaAs HBT. For the Npn InGaAsN DHBT, it has a low V{sub ON} of 0.81 V, which is 0.13 V lower than in an InGaP/GaAs HBT. A peak {beta} of 7 with nearly ideal I-V characteristics has been demonstrated. Since GaAs is used as the collector of both Npn and Pnp InGaAsN DHBTs, the emitter-collector breakdown voltage (BV{sub CEO}) are 10 and 12 V, respectively, consistent with the BV{sub CEO} of Npn InGaP/GaAs and Pnp AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs of comparable collector thickness and doping level. All these results demonstrate the potential of InGaAsN DHBTs as an alternative for application in low-power electronics.

The authors have demonstrated an aluminum-free P-n-P GaAs/InGaAsN/GaAs double heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT). The device has a low turn-on voltage (V{sub ON}) that is 0.27 V lower than in a comparable P-n-p AlGaAs/GaAs HBT. The device shows near-ideal D. C. characteristics with a current gain ({beta}) greater than 45. The high-speed performance of the device are comparable to a similar P-n-p AlGaAs/GaAs HBT, with f{sub T} and f{sub MAX} values of 12 GHz and 10 GHz, respectively. This device is very suitable for low-power complementary HBT circuit applications, while the aluminum-free emitter structure eliminates issues typically associated with AlGaAs.

A brief review is given of recent progress in fabrication of high voltage GaN and AlGaN rectifiers, GaN/AlGaN heterojunction bipolar transistors, GaN heterostructure and metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors. Improvements in epitaxial layer quality and in fabrication techniques have led to significant advances in device performance.

Abstract not provided.

Development of next generation high efficiency space monolithic multifunction solar cells will involve the development of new materials lattice matched to GaAs. One promising material is 1.05 eV InGaAsN, to be used in a four junction GaInP{sub 2}/GaAs/InGaAsN/Ge device. The AMO theoretical efficiency of such a device is 38--42%. Development of the 1.05 eV InGaAsN material for photovoltaic applications, however, has been difficult. Low electron mobilities and short minority carrier lifetimes have resulted in short minority carrier diffusion lengths. Increasing the nitrogen incorporation decreases the minority carrier lifetime. The authors are looking at a more modest proposal, developing 1.25 eV InGaAsN for a triple junction GaInP{sub 2}/InGaAsN/Ge device. The AMO theoretical efficiency of this device is 30--34%. Less nitrogen and indium are required to lower the bandgap to 1.25 eV and maintain the lattice matching to GaAs. Hence, development and optimization of the 1.25 eV material for photovoltaic devices should be easier than that for the 1.05 eV material.

Optimization of GaInP{sub 2}/GaAs dual and GaInP{sub 2}/GaAs/Ge triple junction cells, and development of future generation monolithic multi-junction cells will involve the development of suitable high bandgap tunnel junctions. There are three criteria that a tunnel junction must meet. First, the resistance of the junction must be kept low enough so that the series resistance of the overall device is not increased. For AMO, 1 sun operation, the tunnel junction resistance should be below 5 x 10{sup {minus}2} {Omega}-cm. Secondly, the peak current density for the tunnel junction must also be larger than the J{sub sc} of the cell so that the tunnel junction I-V curve does not have a deleterious effect on the I-V curve of the multi-junction device. Finally, the tunnel junction must be optically transparent, i.e., there must be a minimum of optical absorption of photons that will be collected by the underlying subcells. The paper reports the investigation of four high bandgap tunnel junctions grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition.

The performance capabilities of Npn and Pnp AlGaN/GaN heterojunction bipolar transistors have been investigated by using a drift-diffusion transport model. Numerical results have been employed to study the effect of the p-type Mg doping and its incomplete ionization on device performance. The high base resistance induced by the deep acceptor level is found to be the cause of limited current gain values for Npn devices. Several computation approaches have been considered to improve their performance. Reasonable improvement of the DC current gain {beta} is observed by realistically reducing the base thickness in accordance with processing limitations. Base transport enhancement is also predicted by the introduction of a quasi-electric field in the base. The impact of the base resistivity on high-frequency characteristics is investigated for Npn AlGaN/GaN devices. Optimized predictions with maximum oscillation frequency value as high as f{sub MAX} = 20 GHz and a unilateral power gain--U = 25 dB make this bipolar GaN-based technology compatible with communication applications. Simulation results reveal that the restricted amount of free carriers from the p-doped emitter limits Pnp's DC performances operating in common emitter configuration. A preliminary analysis of r.f. characteristics for the Pnp counterpart indicates limited performance mainly caused by the degraded hole mobility.

The authors describe the integration of an array of surface acoustic wave delay line chemical sensors with the associated RF microelectronics such that the resulting device operates in a DC in/DC out mode. The microelectronics design for on-chip RF generation and detection is presented. Both hybrid and monolithic approaches are discussed. This approach improves system performance, simplifies packaging and assembly, and significantly reduces overall system size. The array design can be readily scaled to include a large number of sensors.

Microfabrication technology has been applied to the development of a miniature, multi-channel gas phase chemical laboratory that provides fast response, small size, and enhanced versatility and chemical discrimination. Each analysis channel includes a sample preconcentrator followed by a gas chromatographic separator and a chemically selective surface acoustic wave detector array to achieve high sensitivity and selectivity. The performance of the components, individually and collectively, is described.

A drift-diffusion transport model has been used to examine the performance capabilities of AlGaN/GaN Npn heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). The Gummel plot from the first GaN-based HBT structure recently demonstrated is adjusted with simulation by using experimental mobility and lifetime reported in the literature. Numerical results have been explored to study the effect of the p-type Mg doping and its incomplete ionization in the base. The high base resistance induced by the deep acceptor level is found to be the cause of limiting current gain values. Increasing the operating temperature of the device activates more carriers in the base. An improvement of the simulated current gain by a factor of 2 to 4 between 25 and 300 C agrees well with the reported experimental results. A preliminary analysis of high frequency characteristics indicates substantial progress of predicted rf performances by operating the device at higher temperature due to a reduced extrinsic base resistivity.

A four-channel surface acoustic wave (SAW) chemical sensor array with associated RF electronics is monolithically integrated onto one GaAs IC. The sensor operates at 690 MHz from an on-chip SAW based oscillator and provides simple DC voltage outputs by using integrated phase detectors. This sensor array represents a significant advance in microsensor technology offering miniaturization, increased chemical selectivity, simplified system assembly, improved sensitivity, and inherent temperature compensation.

The longevity of high gain GaAs photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) has been extended to over 100 million pulses at 23A, and over 100 pulses at 1kA. This is achieved by improving the ohmic contacts by doping the semi-insulating GaAs underneath the metal, and by achieving a more uniform distribution of contact wear across the entire switch by distributing the trigger light to form multiple filaments. This paper will compare various approaches to doping the contacts, including ion implantation, thermal diffusion, and epitaxial growth. The device characterization also includes examination of the filament behavior using open-shutter, infra-red imaging during high gain switching. These techniques provide information on the filament carrier densities as well as the influence that the different contact structures and trigger light distributions have on the distribution of the current in the devices. This information is guiding the continuing refinement of contact structures and geometries for further improvements in switch longevity.

The authors have demonstrated a functional MOCVD-grown AlGaAs/InGaAsN/GaAsPnP DHBT that is lattice matched to GaAs and has a peak current gain ({beta}) of 25. Because of the smaller bandgap (E{sub g}=1.20eV)of In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01} used for the base layer, this device has a low V{sub ON} of 0.79 V, 0.25 V lower than in a comparable Pnp AlGaAs/GaAs HBT. The BV{sub CEO} is 12 V, consistent with its GaAs collector thickness and doping level.

A high voltage GaAs HBT with an open-base collector breakdown voltage of 106 V and an open-emitter breakdown voltage of 134 V has been demonstrated. A high quality 9.0 {micro}m thick collector doped to 2.0{times}10{sup 15} cm{sup {minus}3} grown by MBE on a doped GaAs substrate is the key to achieving this breakdown. These results were achieved for HBTs with 4{times}40 {micro}m{sup 2} emitters. DC current gain of 38 at 6,000 A/cm{sup 2} was measured.

The authors have demonstrated a functional NpN double heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT) using InGaAsN for base layer. The InGaP/In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01}/GaAs DHBT has a low V{sub ON} of 0.81 V, which is 0.13 V lower than in a InGaP/GaAs HBT. The lower V{sub ON} is attributed to the smaller bandgap (E{sub g}=1.20eV) of MOCVD grown In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01} base layer. GaAs is used for the collector; thus the BV{sub CEO} is 10 V, consistent with the BV{sub CEO} of InGaP/GaAs Hbts of comparable collector thickness and doping level. To alleviate the current blocking phenomenon caused by the larger {triangle}E{sub C} between InGaAsN and GaAs, a graded InGaAs layer with {delta}-doping is inserted at the base-collector junction. The improved device has a peak current gain of 7 with ideal IV characteristics.

The authors demonstrate, for the first time, a functional N-p-n heterojunction bipolar transistor using a novel material, InGaAsN, with a bandgap energy of 1.2eV as the p-type base layer. A 300{angstrom}-thick In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As graded layer was introduced to reduce the conduction band offset at the p-type InGaAsN base and n-type GaAs collector junction. For an emitter size of 500 {mu}m{sup 2}, a peak current gain of 5.3 has been achieved.

The authors demonstrated a functional PnP double heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT) using AlGaAs, InGaAsN, and GaAs. The band alignment between InGaAsN and GaAs has a large {triangle}E{sub c} and negligible {triangle}E{sub v}, this unique characteristic is very suitable for PnP DHBT applications. The metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOCVD) grown Al{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As/In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01}/GaAs PnP DHBT is lattice matched to GaAs and has a peak current gain of 25. Because of the smaller bandgap (E{sub g}=1.20eV) of In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01} used for the base layer, this device has a low V{sub ON} of 0.79 V, which is 0.25 V lower than in a comparable Pnp AlGaAs/GaAs HBT. And because GaAs is used for the collector, its BV{sub CEO} is 12 V, consistent with BV{sub CEO} of AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs.

Junction field effect transistors (JFET) were fabricated on a GaN epitaxial structure grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The DC and microwave characteristics, as well as the high temperature performance of the devices were studied. These devices exhibited excellent pinch-off and a breakdown voltage that agreed with theoretical predictions. An extrinsic transconductance (gm) of 48 mS/mm was obtained with a maximum drain current (ID) of 270 mA/mm. The microwave measurement showed an fT of 6 GHz and an fmax of 12 GHz. Both the ID and the gm were found to decrease with increasing temperature, possibly due to lower electron mobility at elevated temperatures. These JFETs exhibited a significant current reduction after a high drain bias was applied, which was attributed to a partially depleted channel caused by trapped electrons in the semi-insulating GaN buffer layer.

A new class of semiconductor laser is presented that does not require p-n junctions. Spectral narrowing, lasing thresholds, beam divergence, temporal narrowing, and energies are shown for these lasers based on current filaments in bulk GaAs.

The LDRD entitled ``Role of Defects in III-Nitride Based Devices'' is aimed to place Sandia National Laboratory at the forefront of the field of GaN materials and devices by establishing a scientific foundation in areas such as material growth, defect characterization/modeling, and processing (metalization and etching) chemistry. In this SAND report the authors summarize their studies such as (1) the MOCVD growth and doping of GaN and AlGaN, (2) the characterization and modeling of hydrogen in GaN, including its bonding, diffusion, and activation behaviors, (3) the calculation of energetic of various defects including planar stacking faults, threading dislocations, and point defects in GaN, and (4) dry etching (plasma etching) of GaN (n- and p-types) and AlGaN. The result of the first AlGaN/GaN heterojunction bipolar transistor is also presented.

The longevity of high gain GaAs photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) has been extended to over 100 million pulses. This was achieved by improving the ohmic contacts through the incorporation of a doped layer that is very effective in the suppression of filament formation, alleviating current crowding. Damage-free operation is now possible with virtually infinite expected lifetime at much higher current levels than before. The inherent damage-free current capacity of the bulk GaAs itself depends on the thickness of the doped layers and is at least 100A for a dopant diffusion depth of 4pm. The contact metal has a different damage mechanism and the threshold for damage ({approx}40A) is not further improved beyond a dopant diffusion depth of about 2{micro}m. In a diffusion-doped contact switch, the switching performance is not degraded when contact metal erosion occurs, unlike a switch with conventional contacts. This paper will compare thermal diffusion and epitaxial growth as approaches to doping the contacts. These techniques will be contrasted in terms of the fabrication issues and device characteristics.

The authors have demonstrated a functional Pnp heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) using InGaAsN. The metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOCVD) grown Al{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As/In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01} HBT takes advantage of the narrower bandgap energy (E{sub g} = 1.25eV) of In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01}, which is lattice matched to GaAs. Compared with the Al{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As/GaAs material system, the Al{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As/In{sub 0.03}Ga{sub 0.97}As{sub 0.99}N{sub 0.01} material system has a larger conduction band offset, while the valence band offset remains comparable. This characteristic band alignment is very suitable for Pnp HBT applications. The device's peak current gain is 23 and it has a turn on voltage of 0.77V, which is 0.25V lower than in a comparable Pnp Al{sub 0.3}Ga{sub 0.7}As/GaAs HBT.

Plasma-induced etch damage can degrade the electrical and optical performance of III-V nitride electronic and photonic devices. We have investigated the etch-induced damage of an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) etch system on the electrical performance of mesa-isolated GaN pn-junction diodes. GaN p-i-n mesa diodes were formed by Cl{sub 2}/BCl{sub 3}/Ar ICP etching under different plasma conditions. The reverse leakage current in the mesa diodes showed a strong relationship to chamber pressure, ion energy, and plasma flux. Plasma induced damage was minimized at moderate flux conditions ({le} 500 W), pressures {ge}2 mTorr, and at ion energies below approximately -275 V.

Monolithic, integrated acoustic wave chemical microsensors are being developed on gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrates. With this approach, arrays of microsensors and the high frequency electronic components needed to operate them reside on a single substrate, increasing the range of detectable analytes, reducing overall system size, minimizing systematic errors, and simplifying assembly and packaging. GaAs is employed because it is both piezoelectric, a property required to produce the acoustic wave devices, and a semiconductor with a mature microelectronics fabrication technology. Many aspects of integrated GaAs chemical sensors have been investigated, including: surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors; monolithic SAW delay line oscillators; GaAs application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) for sensor operation; a hybrid sensor array utilizing these ASICS; and the fully monolithic, integrated SAW array. Details of the design, fabrication, and performance of these devices are discussed. In addition, the ability to produce heteroepitaxial layers of GaAs and aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) makes possible micromachined membrane sensors with improved sensitivity compared to conventional SAW sensors. Micromachining techniques for fabricating flexural plate wave (FPW) and thickness shear mode (TSM) microsensors on thin GaAs membranes are presented and GaAs FPW delay line and TSM resonator performance is described.

Multiple-energy (30-325 keV) O{sup +} implantation into GaN field-effect transistor structures (n {approximately} 10{sup 18} cm{sup {minus}3}, 3000 {angstrom} thick) can produce as-implanted sheet resistances of 4 x 10{sup 12} {Omega}/{open_square}, provided care is taken to ensure compensation of the region up to the projected range of the lowest energy implant. The sheet resistance remains above 10{sup 7} {Omega}/{open_square} to annealing temperatures of {approximately} 650 C and displays an activation energy of 0.29 eV. No diffusion of the implanted oxygen was observed for anneals up to 800 C.

An oscillator technology using surface acoustic wave delay lines integrated with GaAs MESFET electronics has been developed for GaAs-based integrated microsensor applications. The oscillator consists of a two-port SAW delay line in a feedback loop with a four-stage GaAs MESFET amplifier. Oscillators with frequencies of 470, 350, and 200 MHz have been designed and fabricated. These oscillators are also promising for other RF applications.

A GaN based depletion mode metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) was demonstrated using Ga2O3(Gd2O3) as the gate dielectric. The MOS gate reverse breakdown voltage was >35 V which was significantly improved from 17 V of Pt Schottky gate on the same material. A maximum extrinsic transconductance of 15 mS/mm was obtained at Vds = 30 V and device performance was limited by the contact resistance. A unity current gain cut-off frequency, fT, and maximum frequency of oscillation, fmax of 3.1 and 10.3 GHz, respectively, were measured at Vds = 25 V and Vgs = -20 V.

Self-aligned GaAs JFET narrowband amplifiers operating at 2.4 GHz were designed and fabricated with both discrete WETS as a hybrid amplifier and as RFICS. Enhancement-mode JFETs were used in order to be compatible with complementary digital logic. Hybrid amplifiers achieved 8-10 dB of gain at 2.4 GHz and 1 mW DC bias level. The RFIC achieved 10 dB of gain at 24 GHz and 2 mW DC bias level.

GaGdO was deposited on GaN for use as a gate dielectric in order to fabricate a depletion metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). This is the fmt demonstration of such a device in the III-Nitride system. Analysis of the effect of temperature on the device shows that gate leakage is significantly reduced at elevated temperature relative to a conventional metal semiconductor field effeet transistor (MESFET) fabricated on the same GaN layer. MOSFET device operation in fact improved upon heating to 400 C. Modeling of the effeet of temperature on contact resistance suggests that the improvement is due to a reduction in the parasitic resistances present in the device.

A GaN/AIGaN heterojunction bipolar transistor has been fabricated using C12/Ar dry etching for mesa formation. As the hole concentration increases due to more efficient ionization of the Mg acceptors at elevated temperatures (> 250oC), the device shows improved gain. Future efforts which are briefly summarized. should focus on methods for reducing base resistance.

In this work the authors report results of narrowband amplifiers designed for milliwatt and submilliwatt power consumption using JFET and pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors (PHEMT) GaAs-based technologies. Enhancement-mode JFETs were used to design both a hybrid amplifier with off-chip matching as well as a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) with on-chip matching. The hybrid amplifier achieved 8--10 dB of gain at 2.4 GHz and 1 mW. The MMIC achieved 10 dB of gain at 2.4 GHz and 2 mW. Submilliwatt circuits were also explored by using 0.25 {micro}m PHEMTs. 25 {micro}W power levels were achieved with 5 dB of gain for a 215 MHz hybrid amplifier. These results significantly reduce power consumption levels achievable with the JFETs or prior MESFET, heterostructure field effect transistor (HFET), or Si bipolar results from other laboratories.

This report summarizes work on the development of ultra-low power microwave CHFET integrated circuit development. Power consumption of microwave circuits has been reduced by factors of 50--1,000 over commercially available circuits. Positive threshold field effect transistors (nJFETs and PHEMTs) have been used to design and fabricate microwave circuits with power levels of 1 milliwatt or less. 0.7 {micro}m gate nJFETs are suitable for both digital CHFET integrated circuits as well as low power microwave circuits. Both hybrid amplifiers and MMICs were demonstrated at the 1 mW level at 2.4 GHz. Advanced devices were also developed and characterized for even lower power levels. Amplifiers with 0.3 {micro}m JFETs were simulated with 8--10 dB gain down to power levels of 250 microwatts ({mu}W). However 0.25 {micro}m PHEMTs proved superior to the JFETs with amplifier gain of 8 dB at 217 MHz and 50 {mu}W power levels but they are not integrable with the digital CHFET technology.

GaN MIS diodes were demonstrated utilizing AlN and Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}(Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}) as insulators. A 345 {angstrom} of AlN was grown on the MOCVD grown n-GaN in a MOMBE system using trimethylamine alane as Al precursor and nitrogen generated from a wavemat ECR N2 plasma. For the Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}(Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}) growth, a multi MBE chamber was used and a 195 {angstrom} oxide is E-beam evaporated from a single crystal source of Ga{sub 5}Gd{sub 3}O{sub 12}. The forward breakdown voltage of AlN and Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3}(Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}) diodes are 5V and 6V, respectively, which are significantly improved from {approximately} 1.2 V of schottky contact. From the C-V measurements, both kinds of diodes showed good charge modulation from accumulation to depletion at different frequencies. The insulator GaN interface roughness and the thickness of the insulator were measured with x-ray reflectivity.

A doped-channel heterostructure field effect transistor (H-FET) technology has been developed with self-aligned refractory gate processing and using both enhancement- and depletion-mode transistors. D-HFET devices are obtained with a threshold voltage adjust implant into material designed for E-HFET operation. Both E- and D-HFETs utilize W/WSi bilayer gates, sidewall spacers, and rapid thermal annealing for controlling short channel effects. The 0.5 {mu}m E- HFETs (D-HFETs) have been demonstrated with transconductance of 425 mS/mm (265-310 mS/mm) and f{sub t} of 45-50 GHz. Ring oscillator gate delays of 19 ps with a power of 0.6 mW have been demonstrated using direct coupled FET logic. These results are comparable to previous doped-channel HFET devices and circuits fabricated by selective reactive ion etching rather than ion implantation for threshold voltage adjustment.

A survey of ohmic contact materials and properties to GaAs, InP, GaN will be presented along with critical issues pertaining to each semiconductor material. Au-based alloys (e.g., GeAuNi for n-type GaAs) are the most commonly used contacts for GaAs and InP materials for both n- and p-type contacts due to the excellent contact resistivity, reliability, and usefulness over a wide range of doping levels. Research into new contacting schemes for these materials has focused on addressing limitations of the conventional Au-alloys in thermal stability, propensity for spiking, poor edge definition, and new approaches for a non-alloyed contact. The alternative contacts to GaAs and InP include alloys with higher temperature stability, contacts based on solid phase regrowth, and contacts that react with the substrate to form lower bandgap semiconductors alloys at the interface. A new area of contact studies is for the wide bandgap group III-Nitride materials. At present, low resistivity ohmic contact to p-type GaN has not been obtained primarily due to the large acceptor ionization energy and the resultant difficulty in achieving high free hole concentrations at room temperature. For n-type GaN, however, significant progress has been reported with reactive Ti-based metalization schemes or the use of graded InGaN layers. The present status of these approaches will be reviewed.

Development of a complementary heterostructure field effect transistor (CHFET) technology for low-power, mixed-mode digital-microwave applications is presented. Digital CHFET technology with independently optimizable transistors has been shown to operate with 319 ps loaded gate delays at 8.9 fJ. Power consumption is dominated by leakage currents of the p-channel FET, while performance is determined by the characteristics of 0.7 {mu}m gate length devices. As a microwave technology, the nJFET forms the basis of low-power cirucitry without any modification to the digital process. Narrow band amplification with a 0.7x100 {mu}m nJFET has been demonstrated at 2.1-2.4 GHz with gains of 8-10 dB at 1 mW power. These amplifiers showed a minimum noise figure of 2.5 dB. Next generation CHFET transistors with sub 0.5 {mu}m gate lengths have also been developed. Cutoff frequencies of 49 and 11.5 GHz were achieved for n- and p-channel FETs with 0.3 and 0.4 {mu}m gates, respectively. These FETs will enable enhancements in both digital and microwave circuits.