Performance of the AlGaN HEMT structure with a gate extension

The microwave performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs at large drain bias is reported. The device structures were grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on SiC substrates with a channel sheet resistance less than 280 ohms/square. The breakdown voltage of the HEMT was improved by the composite gate structure consisting of a 0.35 μm long silicon nitride window with a 0.18 μm long metal overhang on either side. This produced an metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) gate extension toward the drain with the insulator, silicon nitride, approximately 40-nm-thick. Transistors with a 150 μm total gate width have demonstrated a continuous wave (CW) 10 GHz output power density and power added efficiency of 16.5 W/mm and 47%, respectively when operated at 60 V drain bias. Small-signal measurements yielded an f_T and f_max of 25.7 GHz and 48.8 GHz respectively. Maximum drain current was 1.3 A/mm at +4 V on the gate, with a knee voltage of ∼5 V. This brief demonstrates that AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with an optimized gate structure can extend the device operation to higher drain biases yielding higher power levels and efficiencies than have previously been observed.