Modeling of short-pulse threshold voltage shifts due to DX centersin AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs and AlxGa1-xAs/InyGa1-yAs MODFET's

The DX-center-related short-pulse threshold voltage shifts (SPTVS) in Al_xGa_1-xAs-based MODFETs is modeled using CBAND, a simulator that solves Poisson equations self-consistently with Schrodinger equations and donor statistics. Using values given in the literature for the DX energy level in Al_xGa_1-xAs this technique gives good agreement between measured and simulated SPTVS for Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/GaAs and Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/In_0.2Ga_0.8As MODFETs. Both simulation and experiment show that the use of Al_0.2 Ga_0.8As in the donor layer reduces the SPTVS relative to the structures using Al_0.3Ga_0.7As. However, the measured shifts at this composition are considerably lower than the simulated values, indicating a DX energy level that may be higher than the value extrapolated from the literature, possibly due to the existence of multiple trap levels. Despite this discrepancy, these results support the use of strained-channel layers and lower Al_x Ga_1-xAs compositions in MODFETs for digital and other large-signal applications requiring good threshold stability     

Dislocation scattering in n-type modulation dopedAl0.3Ga0.7As/InxGa1-xAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As quantum wells

The mobility due to misfit dislocation scattering in n-type modulation doped Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/In_xGa_1-xAs/Al _0.3Ga_0.7As quantum wells is discussed. Initially, the dislocations are modeled as an array of orthogonal charged lines. The scattering potential is introduced, including both the coulombic and piezoelectric components. The expression for the mobility limited by dislocation scattering is established, and the anisotropic characteristics of mobility and its variation with various material and device parameters are presented and discussed     

Device linearity improvement byAl0.3Ga0.7As/In0.2Ga0.8Asheterostructure doped-channel FETs

The linearities of pseudomorphic heterostructure Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/In_0.2Ga_0.8As doped-channel FETs (DCFETs) and HEMTs were evaluated by DC and RF testings. Due to the absence of parallel conduction in the doped-channel approach, as compared to the modulation-doped structure, a wide and flat device performance together with a high current density was achieved. This improvement of device linearity suggests that doped-channel designs are suitable for high frequency power device application     

Observation of negative differential resistance inAl0.2Ga0.8As/Al0.4Ga0.6As/GaAs double barrier resonant tunnelling structure

Negative differential resistance has been observed in the current/voltage characteristics of a double barrier resonant tunnelling structure with Al_0.2Ga_0.8As emitters, Al_0.4 Ga_0.6As barriers and GaAs quantum well for the first time. The NDR becomes clear at low temperatures below 77 K, and the current/voltage characteristic is asymmetric. Results demonstrate that high-quality abrupt GaAs-Al_xGa_1-xAs-Al_yGa_1-yAs heterojunctions can be of use in resonant tunnelling structures     

Device linearity comparisons between doped-channel andmodulation-doped designs in pseudomorphic Al0.3Ga0.7As/In0.2Ga0.8As heterostructures

The linearities of pseudomorphic Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/In_0.2Ga_0.8As doped-channel FET's were characterized by comparing the characteristics of modulation-doped field-effect transistors (FET's) based on dc and microwave evaluations. By using an undoped high-bandgap layer beneath the gate, the so-called parasitic MESFET-type conduction, which is common in HEMT's, can therefore be eliminated in doped-channel designs. Therefore, a wide and flat device performance together with a high current driving capability can be achieved in DCFET's. This linearity improvement in device performance suggests that doped-channel designs are more suitable for application in microwave power devices     

Single- and double-heterojunction pseudomorphic In0.5(Al0.3Ga0.7)0.5P/In0.2Ga0.8As high electron mobility transistors grown by gas sourcemolecular beam epitaxy

In_0.5(Al_0.3Ga_0.7)_0.5 P/In_0.2Ga_0.8As single- and double-heterojunction pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors (SH-PHEMTs and DH-PHEMTs) on GaAs grown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE) were demonstrated for the first time. SH-PHEMTs with a 1-μm gate-length showed a peak extrinsic transconductance g_m of 293 mS/mm and a full channel current density I_max of 350 mA/mm. The corresponding values of g_m and I_max were 320 mS/mm and 550 mA/mm, respectively, for the DH-PHEMTs. A short-circuit current gain (H₂₁) cutoff frequency f_T of 21 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency f_max of 64 GHz were obtained from a 1 μm DH device. The improved device performance is attributed to the large ΔE_c provided by the In_0.5(Al_0.3Ga_0.7)_0.5P/In _0.2Ga_0.8As heterojunctions. These results demonstrated that In_0.5(Al_0.3Ga_0.7)_0.5P/In _0.2Ga_0.8As PHEMT's are promising candidates for microwave power applications     

Temperature dependence of the ionization coefficients of AlxGa1-xAs

As Al_xGa_1-xAs alloys are increasingly used for microwave and millimeter wave power devices and circuits that work under high electric field intensities and junction temperatures; understanding the temperature dependence of impact ionization and related properties in this material system becomes more and more important. Measurements of the multiplication gain and noise of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) provide insight to the avalanche characteristics of semiconductors. Previously, we have reported the characteristics of GaAs and Al_0.2Ga_0.8As APD's at room temperature. In this paper, the gain and noise of a series of homojunction Al_xGa_1-xAs APD's were investigated over a wide temperature range from 29°C to 125°C, and the temperature dependence of their ionization coefficients was extracted     

Numerical modeling of energy balance equations in quantum well AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs p-i-n photodiodes

The energy balance equations coupled with drift diffusion transport equations in heterojunction semiconductor devices are solved modeling hot electron effects in single quantum well p-i-n photodiodes. The transports across the heterojunction boundary and through quantum wells are modeled by thermionic emission theory. The simulation and experimental current-voltage characteristics of a single p-i-n GaAs/Al _xGa_1-xAs quantum well agree over a wide range of current and voltage, The GaAs/Al_xGa_1-xAs p-i-n structures with multi quantum wells are simulated and the dark current voltage characteristics, short circuit current, and open circuit voltage results are compared with the available experimental data, In agreement with the experimental data, simulated results show that by adding GaAs quantum wells to the conventional cell made of wider bandgap Al_x Ga_1-xAs, short circuit current is improved, but there is a loss of the voltage of the host cell, In the limit of radiative recombination, the maximum power point of an Al_0.35Ga_0.65As/GaAs p-i-n photodiode with 30-quantum-well periods is higher than the maximum power point of similar conventional bulk p-i-n cells made out of either host Al_0.35Ga_0.65As or bulk GaAs material     

Insulator passivation of In0.2Ga0.8As-GaAssurface quantum wells

The electronic passivation of (100) In_0.2Ga_0.8 As-GaAs surface quantum wells (QWs) using in situ deposition of an amorphous, insulating Ga₂O₃ film has been investigated and compared to standard Al_0.45Ga_0.55As passivation. Nonradiative lifetimes τ_r=1.1±0.2 and 1.2±0.2 ns have been inferred from the dependence of the internal quantum efficiency η on optical excitation density P₀' for the Ga₂O₃ and Al_0.45Ga_0.55As passivated In_0.02 Ga_0.8As-GaAs surface QW, respectively. Beyond identical internal quantum efficiency, the amorphous Ga₂O₃ insulator passivation simplifies device processing, eludes problems arising from lattice-mismatched interfaces, and virtually eliminates band bending in electronic and optoelectronic devices based on a low dimensional system such as quantum wells, wires, and dots     

0.2-μm gate-length atomic-planar doped pseudomorphic Al0.3Ga0.7As/In0.25Ga0.75As MODFETswith fT over 120 GHz

The authors report the DC and RF performance of nominally 0.2-μm-gate length atomic-planar doped pseudomorphic Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/In_0.25Ga_0.75As modulation-doped field-effect transistors (MODFETs) with f_T over 120 GHz. The devices exhibit a maximum two-dimensional electron gas (2 DEG) sheet density of 2.4×10¹² cm^-2, peak transconductance g _m of 530-570 mS/mm. maximum current density of 500-550 mA/mm, and peak current-gain cutoff frequency f_T of 110-122 GHz. These results are claimed to be among the best ever reported for pseudomorphic AlGaAs/InGaAs MODFETs and are attributed to the high 2 DEG sheet density, rather than an enhanced saturation velocity, in the In_0.25Ga_0.75As channel     

Characteristics of a In0.52(AlxGa1-x)0.48As/In0.53Ga0.47As(0⩽x⩽1) heterojunction and its application onHEMT's

The quaternary In_0.52(Al_xGa_1-x) _0.48As compound on InP substrates is an important material for use in optoelectronic and microwave devices. We systematically investigated the electrical properties of quaternary In_0.52(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.48As layers, and found a 10% addition of Ga atoms into the InAlAs layer improves the Schottky diode performance. The energy bandgap (E_g ) for the In_0.52(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.48As layer was (0.806+0.711x) eV, and the associated conduction-band discontinuity (ΔE_c), in the InAlGaAs/In_0.53Ga_0.47 As heterojunction, was around (0.68±0.01)ΔE_g . Using this high quality In_0.52(Al_0.9Ga_0.1)_0.48As layer in the Schottky and buffer layers, we obtained quaternary In_0.52(Al_0.9Ga_0.1)_0.48As/In _0.53Ga_0.47As HEMTs. This quaternary HEMT revealed excellent dc and microwave characteristics. In comparison with the conventional InAlAs/InGaAs HEMT's, quaternary HEMT's demonstrated improved sidegating and device reliability     

Influence of Al content x on hot electron noise in AlxGa1-xAs n+nn+ devices: comparison withGaAs

Hot electron noise measurements are performed in Si doped Al_x Ga_1-xAs n⁺nn⁺ devices, for three different Al concentrations: x=0.15, 0.2, 0.25. Noise temperatures are obtained using a pulsed measurement technique as functions of electric field and frequency. Longitudinal diffusion coefficients D(E) are deduced at 4 GHz. Results are analyzed through the scattering mechanisms which greatly affect the electron velocity properties of Al_xGa_1-xAs materials. Comparisons with n⁺ nn⁺ GaAs devices are made     

Monte Carlo study of GaAs/Alx Ga1-xAsMODFETs: effects of AlxGa1-xAs composition

Monte Carlo methods are used to compare electronic transport and device behavior in n⁺-Al_xGa_1-xAs/GaAs modulation-doped field-effect transistors (MODFETs) at 300 K for x =0.10, 0.15, 0.22, 0.30, 0.35, and 0.40. The differences between the x=0.22 and x=0.30 MODFETs with respect to parasitic conduction in Al_xGa_1-xAs, gate currents, and switching times, are of particular interest. The donor-related deep levels in Al_xGa_1-xAs, are disregarded by assuming all donors to be fully ionized, and the focus is only on the confinement and transport of the carriers. The following quantities are studied in detail: transfer characteristics (I_D versus V _G), transconductance (g_m), switching speeds (τ_ON), parasitic conduction in Al_xGa _1-xAs, gate current (I_G), average electron velocities and energies in GaAs and Al_xGa_1-x As, electron concentration in the device domain, k-space transfer (to low mobility L and X valleys), and details of the real-space transfer process     

Enhancement-mode power heterojunction FET utilizingAl0.5Ga0.5As barrier layer with negligibleoperation gate current for digital cellular phones

We have developed a novel enhancement-mode double-doped AlGaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction FET (HJFET) with a 5 nm thick Al_0.5Ga_0.5As barrier layer inserted between an In _0.2Ga_0.8As channel layer and an upper Al_0.2 Ga_0.8As electron supply layer. The Al_0.5Ga _0.5As barrier layer reduces gate current under high forward gate bias voltage, resulting in a high forward gate turn-on voltage (V _F) of 0.87 V, which is 170 mV higher than that of an HJFET without the barrier layer. Suppression of gate current assisted by a parallel conduction path in the upper electron supply layer was found to be also important for achieving the high V_F. The developed device exhibited a high maximum drain current of 300 mA/mm with a threshold voltage of 0.17 V. A 950 MHz PDC power performance was evaluated under single 3.5 V operation. An HJFET with a 0.5 μm long gate exhibited 0.92 W output power and 63.6% power-added efficiency with 0.08 mA gate current (I_g) at -48 dBc adjacent channel leakage power at 50 kHz off-center frequency. This I_g is one-thirteenth to that of the HJFET without the barrier layer. These results indicate that the developed enhancement-mode HJFET is suitable for single low voltage operation power applications     

Strained-insulatorInxAl1-xAs/n+-In0.53Ga0.47As heterostructure field-effect transistors

In an effort to enhance the conduction band discontinuity between channel and insulator, In_xAl_1-xAs/n⁺-In _0.53Ga_0.47As heterostructure field-effect transistors (HFETs) were fabricated with InAs mole fractions in the In _xAl_1-xAs gate insulator of x=0.52 (lattice matching), 0.48, 0.40, and 0.30. Decreasing the InAs mole fraction in the insulator results in reduced forward- and reverse-bias gate currents, increased reverse gate breakdown voltage, and reduced real-space transfer of hot electrons from channel to gate. Down to x =0.40, these improvements trade off with a slightly reduced transconductance, but the gain in gate bias swing results in an increase in maximum current drivability. From x=0.40 to x=0.30, there is a drastic decrease in transconductance, coincident with a high density of misfit dislocations     

A low-voltage, high-reflectance-change normally off refractiveGaAs/Al0.2Ga0.8As MQW reflection modulator

We present our optimization of a normally off refractive GaAs/Al _xGa_1-xAs multiple-quantum-well (MQW) reflection modulator with respect to the on/off reflectance change, on/off contrast ratio, and operating voltage. We use optical transfer matrices, theoretically calculated refractive indices, and absorption coefficients to simulate the operation of a normal-incident Fabry-Perot MQW modulator. Our calculations suggest that a normally off refractive GaAs/Al_0.2Ga_0.8As MQW reflection modulator with a reflectance change of 42.9% and an on/off contrast ratio of 1539 for an operating voltage of only 2.44 V can be fabricated by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE)     

GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As resonant tunneling diodes with atomically flat interfaces grown on (411)A GaAs substrates by MBE

Al_0.3Ga_0.7As (10 nm)/GaAs (5 nm)/Al_0.3Ga_0.7As (10 nm) double barrier resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) have been fabricated on a (411)A GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), which has atomically flat GaAs/Al_0.3Ga_0.7As interfaces over a device area. The (411)A RTDs showed a larger peak to valley current ratio by about 40% at 77K comparing to RTDs grown on a conventional (100) GaAs substrate simultaneously. Reduction of the valley current (0.61 times smaller) is the main cause for this larger peak to valley current ratio, which is probably due to improved interface roughness and defects of the (411)A RTDs.     

Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs HEMT's under opticalillumination

Theoretical and experimental work for the DC and RF performance of depletion mode Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/GaAs HEMTs under optical illumination is presented. The photoconductive effect increasing the 2-DEG channel electron concentration and photovoltaic effect in the gate junction are considered. Optical tuning of a 2 GHz HEMT oscillator and optical control of the gain of a 2 to 6 GHz HEMT amplifier are presented and potential applications are described     

Thermal stability of MISFET with low-temp molecular-beamepitaxy-grown GaAs and Al0.3Ga0.7As gate ins

GaAs and Al_0.3Ga_0.7As epilayers grown at LT by MBE were used as insulators in the fabrication of MISFET devices. Parametric changes were used to evaluate the thermal stability of MISFET, to identify failure mechanisms and validate the reliability of these devices. The LT-Al_0.3Ga_0.7As MISFET showed superior thermal stability. The degradation in the performance of MISFET with 1000 Å thick LT-GaAs gate insulator was worse than those of the MESFET. On the other hand, MISFET with 250 Å thick LT-GaAs gate insulators exhibited stable characteristics with thermal stressing, LF (low frequency) noise studies on the TLM structures of MISFET layers exhibited 1/f noise in the LT-Al_0.3Ga_0.7As samples and 250 Å LT-GaAs samples; whereas the 1000 Å thick LT-GaAs samples exhibited 1/f^3/2 noise, which was attributed to: (i) the thermal noise generated at the interface of the insulator, and (ii) the active layer due to the outdiffused metallic arsenic. Reverse gate-drain current degradation experiments were carried out at 120°C, 160°C, 200°C, and 240°C. Transconductance frequency dispersion studies were carried out before and after thermal stress on these MISFET. The transconductance of MISFET with 1000 Å LT-GaAs gate insulators was degraded by 40% at 100 kHz after thermal stress. The rest of the samples exhibited stable characteristics. These results indicate that composition changes had occurred at the interface in thicker LT-GaAs MISFET structures. Thinner LT-layers are ideal for achieving higher transconductance and better thermal stability without sacrificing the power capability of MISFET     

Temperature dependence of gate forward turn-on voltage (Vf) of i-Al0.3Ga0.7As/n-GaAs HIGFET's

Forward gate current-voltage characteristics and their temperature dependence are investigated for i-Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/n-GaAs doped-channel HIGFET's (DC-HIGFET's) with the gate length of 0.3 μm. The temperature coefficient of the gate forward turn-on voltage (Vf) varies with the thickness (t_U) of an i-AlGaAs layer, and shows a minimum value of -0.8~-0.9 mV/deg at t_u=10 nm