Current density dependence of minimum noise figure for gallium nitride HEMTs

This paper discusses recent work in noise characterization of gallium nitride high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). The excellent noise performance of gallium nitride-based HEMTs has been discussed previously in the scientific literature. In this paper, we discuss observations that show that the best minimum noise figure is found at a constant current density, regardless of the physical dimensions of the transistor. These results resemble a previous report using CMOS processes, which found that a specific current density leads to minimum noise figure, regardless of fabrication process and gate length. We have found that the best minimum noise figure is found at a constant current density of 0.3 mA/μm, regardless of transistor size.