High-Temperature Operation of Diamond Junction Field-Effect Transistors With Lateral p-n Junctions

High-temperature performance of diamond junction field-effect transistors (JFETs) with lateral p-n junctions is demonstrated. Diamond JFETs fabricated by n-type selective growth can be operated at 723 K, and show very low leakage currents of ~ 10^-13 A and high ON/OFF ratios . Specific on-resistance decreases from 52.2 mΩ·cm² at 300 K to 1.4 mΩ·cm² at 723 K. At high temperatures, the device shows steep subthreshold swings very close to the theoretical limit. The low leakage currents are maintained even at a high drain voltage of -100 V. These excellent properties at high temperatures and high voltage show that diamond JFETs can work in harsh environments.