High-efficiency GaAs power MESFETs prepared by ion implantation

GaAs power MESFETs have been fabricated using ion implantation to form channel layers. A 1 ¿m gate length by 2400 ¿m gate width device has demonstrated an output power of 1.63 W with 6.9 dB associated gain, 35% power-added efficiency and 9.7 dB linear gain at 10 GHz. The transconductance of this device is 280 mS, which corresponds to 117 mS/mm. This result demonstrates that excellent GaAs power MESFETs can be made by ion implantation, and is comparable to average results demonstrated by devices made by AsCl3 vapour phase epitaxy.