Modulation-doped field-effect transistors with an 8-nm InGaAs/InAs/InGaAs quantum well

We show that the channel thickness of modulation-doped field-effect transistors (MODFETs) based on an InAlAs/InGaAs heterojunction can be reduced from 15 to 8 nm without any degradation of the main DC and RF figures of merits. Furthermore, short-channel effects, which are pronounced in sub-0.1-μm devices, can be effectively suppressed by this thin-channel design. The retainment of high performance and alleviation of short-channel effects are attributed to the excellent two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG) confinement by the inserted InAs layer. The successful channel thinning opens up the possibility of employing high-quality thin-channel structures for MODFETs with gate lengths below 0.05 μm.