Temperature variable noise and electrical characteristics of Au-Ga-As Schottky barrier millimeter-wave mixer diodes

Author

Zirath, Herbert H G ; Nilsen, Svein M. ; Hjelmgren, Hans ; Ramberg, Lennart P. ; Kollberg, Erik L.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Radio & Space Sci., Chalmers Univ., Goteborg, Sweden

Volume

36

Issue

11

fYear

1988

fDate

11/1/1988 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1469

Lastpage

1475

Abstract

The fabrication and characterization of gold-gallium arsenide Schottky-barrier diodes on molecular-beam-epitaxy (MBE)-grown epitaxial gallium arsenide intended for cryogenic millimeter-wave mixer applications is reported. The Schottky barriers were formed either by pulse plating or by in situ evaporation in the MBE system after the epitaxial growth. The equivalent temperature as derived from the current-voltage characteristic is considerably lower at high current densities and cryogenic temperature than for the more commonly used Pt-GaAs Schottky diode. Noise-generation mechanisms are investigated as a function of forward bias and temperature. At cryogenic temperature, a best equivalent noise temperature of 22 K was obtained at 4 GHz for a DC-biased diode

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; Schottky-barrier diodes; electron device noise; gallium arsenide; gold; mixers (circuits); molecular beam epitaxial growth; solid-state microwave devices; Au-Ga-As; EHF; III-V semiconductors; MBE; MM-wave type; Mott diodes; Schottky barrier; characterization; cryogenic temperature; current-voltage characteristic; electrical characteristics; epitaxial growth; fabrication; forward bias; high current densities; in situ evaporation; microwave device; millimeter-wave mixer diodes; molecular-beam-epitaxy; noise generation mechanisms; pulse plating; temperature variable noise; Acoustical engineering; Cryogenics; Electric variables; Epitaxial growth; Fabrication; Gallium arsenide; Molecular beam epitaxial growth; Schottky barriers; Schottky diodes; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/22.8909

Filename

8909