High Performance (fT~500GHZ) In0.52Al0.48As/In0.53Ga0.47As/InP Quantum Wire MODFETs Employing Asymmetric Coupled-Well Channels

A coupled-well InAlAs/InGaAs quantum wire MODFET structure is proposed, for which simulations predict improved frequency performance (>500 GHz), over a wider range of V_g, as compared to well/wire devices with a standard MODFET heterointerface. A comparison of several transverse potential well profiles, obtained by varying the placement of a thin barrier within a 100 Å finite well, is presented. In all cases, the quantum wires consist of a 0.1 m long channel and a 150 Å finite-square-well lateral profile. It has been found that the peak of the electron distribution for the first confined state, as measured from the heterointerface, changes dramatically depending on the location of the thin barrier. For quantum wire structures, realized in the lattice matched system of In_0.52Al_0.48As/In_0.53Ga_0.47As/InP, a change in the barrier location of 25 Å is accompanied by a shift in the carrier peak of more than 40 Å (~20 Å closer to or farther from the spacer-well interface than in the standard MODFET profile). Implications of this are reflected in the current-voltage characteristics (I_d-V_d) and frequency responses (f_T-V_g) of the proposed structures.     

Investigation of capacitance voltage characteristics of strained Si/SiGe n-channel MODFET varactor

This work is concerned with the investigation of Capacitance-Voltage (CV) behavior of n-channel Si/SiGe MODFET varactors. This investigation provides a valuable insight into the high frequency response of the device under test and its dependence on design parameters; especially regarding the modulation layer doping concentration. The heterostructure under consideration is much more complicated than conventional MOS varactor with respect to non-uniform doping, energy band offsets and the pn-junction in series. Subsequently, CV characterization has never been applied to such MODFET varactor structure. Experimental CV measurements have shown a non-monotonic behavior with a transition point minimum and higher saturation levels on both sides, in contradiction to the conventional high frequency MOS characteristics. This behavior was confirmed qualitatively using simulations. Moreover, we explain some fundamental capacitance properties of the structure, which provide already very interesting perceptions of the MODFET varactor operation, modeling and possible applications using the obtained stimulating results.     

Effect of Temperature Variation on the Characteristics of Microwave Power AlGaN/GaN MODFET

The prime motivation for developing the proposed model of AlGaN/GaN microwave power device is to demonstrate its inherent ability to operate at much higher temperature. An investigation of temperature model of a 1 μm gate AlGaN/GaN enhancement mode n-type modulation-doped field effect transistor (MODFET) is presented. An analytical temperature model based on modified charge control equations is developed. The proposed model handles higher voltages and show stable operation at higher temperatures. The investigated temperature range is from 100 °K–600 °K. The critical parameters of the proposed device are the maximum drain current (I_Dmax), the threshold voltage (V_th), the peak dc trans-conductance (g_m), and unity current gain cut-off frequency (f_T). The calculated values of f_T (10–70 GHz) at elevated temperature suggest that the operation of the proposed device has sufficiently high current handling capacity. The temperature effect on saturation current, cutoff frequency, and trans-conductance behavior predict the device behavior at elevated temperatures. The analysis and simulation results on the transport characteristics of the MODFET structure is compared with the previously measured experimental data at room temperature. The calculated critical parameters suggest that the proposed device could survive in extreme environments.     

Self-Aligned SiGe MOS-Gate FET with Modulation-Doped Quantum Wire Channel for Millimeter Wave Application

This paper describes a self-aligned SiGe MOS-gate field-effect transistor (FET) having a modulation-doped (MOD) quantum wire channel. An analytical model based on modified charge control equations accounting for the quantum wire channel, is presented predicting the transport characteristics of the MOS-gate MODFET structure. In particular, transport characteristics of devices having strained SiGe layers, realized on Si or Ge substrates, are computed. The transconductance g_m and unity-current gain cutoff frequency (f_T) are also computed as a function of the gate voltage V_G. The calculated values of f_T suggest the operation of one-dimensional SiGe MODFETs to be around 200 GHz range at 77°K, and 120 GHz at 300°K.     

Performance of 30 nm Gate Length InAlAs-InGaAs MODFETs: Comparison of Conventional and Asymmetric Coupled-Well Transport Channel Configurations

This paper presents simulation results highlighting the effects of variations in the transverse potential profile of the transport channel, on the electrical characteristics of Modulation Doped Field-Effect Transistors (MODFETs). In particular, the I-V and f_T-V_g characteristics of 30 nm gate length InAlAs-InGaAs MODFETs, having conventional quantum well channels, are in good agreement with our simulations. The simulation further predicts improvement in performance when asymmeteric coupled quantum wells are used as the electron transport channels. Energy bands, 2-D electron distributions, and various I-V characteristics are compared for conventional quantum well and asymmeteric coupled quantum well channels. Both quantum well and quantum wire configurations are enhanced by the incorporation of asymmetric coupled quantum well channel.     

10 Tera Hertz Operation in One-Dimensional Quantum Interference Transistor (1-D QUIT) Devices

A high performance quantum interference transistor (QUIT) realized using high mobility 1-D MODFET channels is presented. The operation of this 1-D QUIT is based on electrostatic Aharonov-Bohm quantum interference effect. The channel length of the device is smaller than the inelastic coherence length of the electrons in the quantum well wire channel, otherwise scattering will randomize electron's phase and destroy the quantum interference effect. Transport characteristics of the 0.2 m channel 1-D QUIT are calculated at 4.2 °K and compared with a two-dimensional QUIT device reported in literature. Our calculations show a significant improvement of the transconductance in one-dimensional transistors compared with its two-dimensional counterpart. The maximum frequency of operation of the 1-D QUIT is in the Tera Hertz regime, which makes it very attractive device for high frequency applications.     

Design and Analysis of InGaN-GaN Modulation Doped Field-Effect Transistors (MODFETs) for Over 60 GHz Operation

A Modulation-Doped Field-Effect Transistor (MODFET) structure realized in InGaN-GaN material system is presented for the first time. An analytical model predicting the transport characteristics of the proposed MODFET structure is given in detail. Electron energy levels inside and outside the quantum well channel of the MODFET are evaluated. The two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density in the channel is calculated by self-consistently solving Schrödinger and Poisson's equations simultaneously. Analytical results of the current-voltage and transconductance characteristics are presented. The unity-current gain cutoff frequency (f _T) of the proposed device is computed as a function of the gate voltage V _G . The results are compared well with experimental f _T value of a GaN/AlGaN HFET device. By scaling the gate length down to 0.25 m the proposed InGaN-GaN MODFET can be operated up to about 80GHz. It is shown in this paper that InGaN-GaN system has small degradation in f _T as the operating temperature is increased from 300°K to 400°K.