Influence of gate thermal oxide layer on InGaP/InGaAs doping-channel field-effect transistors

In this article, the significant effect of a thin gate thermal oxide layer on InGaP/InGaAs doping-channel field-effect transistors (DCFETs) is first demonstrated. When compared to the conventional InGaP/InGaAs DCFET, the device with the gate thermal oxide layer exhibits a higher gate turn-on voltage and nearly voltage-independent transconductances as the gate-to-source is biased form −0.75 V to 0 V, while the maximum transconductance is lower. Experimentally, the transconductance within 90% of its maximum value for gate voltage swing is 1.63 V in the gate-oxide device, which is greater than that of 1.35 V in the device without the gate thermal oxide layer. Furthermore, it maintains a high drain current level at negative gate bias in the gate-oxide device, which can be attributed that the thermal oxide layer with a considerably large energy gap absorbs more of gate negative voltage and the influence of negative voltage on the gate depleted thickness is relatively slight.