Group III nitride field effect transistors (FETS) capable of withstanding high temperature reverse bias test conditions
View Patent ↗Group III Nitride based field effect transistor (FETS) are provided having a power degradation of less than about 3.0 dB when operated at a drain-to-source voltage (V DS ) of about 56 volts, a gate to source voltage (V gs ) of from about −8 to about −14 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for at least about 10 hours.
1. A Group III Nitride based field effect transistor (FET) having a power degradation of less than about 3.0 dB when operated at a drain-to-source voltage (V DS ) of about 56 volts, a gate to source voltage (V gs) ) of from about −8 to about −14 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for at least about 10 hours.
2. The FET of claim 1 having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.44 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of about −8 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 20 hours.
3. The FET of claim 2 , comprising a GaN channel layer having a thickness of about 2.0 μm.
4. The FET of claim 3 , wherein the FET is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and wherein the HEMT further comprises:
an ALN layer on the GaN channel layer;
an AlGaN layer on the AlN layer;
a T- gate contact on the AlGaN layer;
an insulating layer on a surface of the HEMT; and
source and drain contacts on the AlGaN layer.
5. The FET of claim 4 having a power density of greater than about 3.0 W/mm operating at a frequency of from about 3.5 to about 4.0 GHz.
6. The FET of claim 3 , wherein a distance from the T-gate contact to the source contact is about 0.7 μm, wherein a distance from the T-gate contact to the drain contact is about 2.0 μm, wherein a length of a T portion of the gate contact is about 0.7 μm and wherein a length of a base of the T-gate contact is about 0.2 μm.
7. The FET of claim 6 , wherein a distance wings of the T-gate contact extend out from the base of the T-gate contact about 0.25 μm.
8. The FET of claim 2 , comprising a GaN channel layer having a thickness of from about 2.0 μm to about 8.0 μm and wherein all but about 1.0 μm of a surface of the GaN channel layer is doped with Fe to a concentration of from about 2×10 16 cm −3 to about 2 ×10 18 cm −3 .
9. The FET of claim 8 , wherein the FET is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and wherein the HEMT further comprises:
an AlN layer on the GaN channel layer;
an AlGaN layer on the AlN layer;
a T- gate contact on the AlGaN layer;
an insulating layer on a surface of the HEMT; and
source and drain contacts on the AlGaN layer.
10. The FET of claim 9 having a power density of greater than about 3.0 W/mm operating at a frequency of from about 3.5 to about 4.0 GHz.
11. The FET of claim 1 having a power degradation of not greater than about 1.3 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of about −8 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 20 hours.
12. The FET of claim 1 having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.25 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of about −8 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 10 hours.
13. The FET of claim 12 , comprising a passivation layer on a surface of the FET, the passivation layer including silicon nitride (SiN).
14. The FET of claim 13 , wherein the FET is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and wherein the HEMT further comprises:
a GaN channel layer;
an AlN layer on the GaN channel layer;
an AlGaN layer on the AlN layer;
a T- gate contact on the AlGaN layer; and
source and drain contacts on the AlGaN layer, wherein the passivation layer is provided on the T-gate contact, the AlGaN layer and the source and drain contacts.
15. The FET of claim 14 having a power density of greater than about 3.0 W/mm operating at a frequency of from about 3.5 to about 4.0 GHz.
16. The FET of claim 1 having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.40 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of from about −8 volts to about −14 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for from about 10 to about 62 hours.
17. The FET of claim 16 , comprising a GaN channel layer having a thickness of about 6.0 μm and wherein all but about 1.0 μm of a surface of the GaN channel layer is doped with Fe to a concentration of from about 2×10 16 cm −3 to about 2×10 18 cm −3 .
18. The FET of claim 17 , wherein the FET is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and wherein the HEMT further comprises:
an AlN layer on the GaN channel layer;
an AlGaN layer on the AlN layer;
a T- gate contact on the AlGaN layer;
an insulating layer on a surface of the HEMT; and
source and drain contacts on the AlGaN layer.
19. The FET of claim 18 having a power density of greater than about 3.0 W/mm operating at a frequency of from about 3.5 to about 4.0 GHz.
20. The FET of claim 1 having a power degradation not greater than about 1.0 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of about −8 volts to and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 10 hours.
21. The FET of claim 20 , comprising:
a GaN channel layer having a thickness of about 6.0 μm; and
an AlGaN layer on the GaN channel layer, having from about 15 to about 30 percent Al and a thickness of from about 15 to about 40 nm.
22. The FET of claim 21 , wherein the FET is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and wherein the HEMT further comprises:
an AlN layer between the GaN channel layer and the AlGaN;
a T- gate contact on the AlGaN layer;
an insulating layer on a surface of the HEMT; and
source and drain contacts on the AlGaN layer.
23. The FET of claim 22 having a power density of greater than about 3.0 W/mm operating at a frequency of from about 3.5 to about 4.0 GHz.
24. The FET of claim 1 having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.45 dB when operated at a V DS of from about 28 to about 70 volts, a V gs of about −3.3 to about −14 and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 6 to about 100 hours.
25. The FET of claim 24 , comprising a GaN channel layer having a thickness of about 6.0 μm and wherein all but about 1.0 μm of a surface of the GaN channel layer is doped with Fe to a concentration of from about 2×10 16 cm −3 to about 2×10 18 cm −3 .
26. The FET of claim 25 , wherein the FET is a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and wherein the HEMT further comprises:
an AlN layer on the GaN channel layer;
an AlGaN layer on the AlN layer;
a T- gate contact on the AlGaN layer;
an insulating layer on a surface of the HEMT; and
source and drain contacts on the AlGaN layer.
27. The FET of claim 26 having a power density of greater than about 3.0 W/mm operating at a frequency of from about 3.5 to about 4.0 GHz.
28. A Group III Nitride based field effect transistor (FET) capable of withstanding high temperature, reverse bias test conditions of a drain-to-source voltage (V DS ) of about 56 volts, a gate to source voltage (V gs) ) of from about −8 to about −14 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for at least about 10 hours.
29. The FET of claim 28 having a power density of greater than about 3.0 W/mm operating at a frequency of from about 3.5 to about 4.0 GHz.
30. The FET of claim 28 , wherein the FET comprises a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and wherein the HEMT further comprises:
a GaN Channel layer;
an AlN layer on the GaN channel layer;
an AlGaN layer on the AlN layer;
a T- gate contact on the AlGaN layer;
an insulating layer on a surface of the HEMT; and
source and drain contacts on the AlGaN layer.
31. The FET of claim 30 , wherein the GaN channel layer has a thickness of about 2.0 μm.
32. The FET of claim 30 , wherein the GaN channel layer has a thickness of from about 2.0 μm to about 8.0 μm and wherein all but about 1.0 μm of the GaN channel layer is doped with Fe to a concentration of from about 2×10 16 cm −3 to about 2×10 18 cm −3 .
33. The FET of claim 30 , wherein the insulating layer comprises a passivation layer including silicon nitride (SiN).
34. The FET of claim 30 , wherein the GaN channel layer has a thickness of about 6.0 μm and wherein about 5.0 μm of the GaN channel layer is doped with Fe to a concentration of from about 2×10 16 cm −3 to about 2×10 18 cm −3 .
35. The FET of claim 30 , wherein the GaN channel layer has a thickness of about 6.0 μm and wherein the AlGaN layer has from about 15 to about 30 percent Al and a thickness of from about 15 to about 40 nm.
36. A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) having a power degradation of less than about 3.0 dB and a power density of greater than about 3.0 W/mm when operated at a drain-to-source voltage (V DS ) of about 56 volts, a gate to source voltage (V gs) ) of from about −8 to about −14 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for at least about 10 hours.
37. The HEMT of claim 36 having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.44 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of about −8 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 20 hours, wherein the HEMT comprises a GaN channel layer having a thickness of about 2.0 μm.
38. The HEMT of claim 36 having a power degradation of not greater than about 1.3 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of about −8 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 20 hours, wherein the HEMT comprises a GaN channel layer having a thickness of from about 2.0 μm to about 8 μm and wherein all but about 1.0 μm of a surface of the GaN channel layer is doped with Fe to a concentration of from about 2×10 16 cm −3 to about 2×10 18 cm −3 .
39. The HEMT of claim 36 having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.25 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of about −8 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 10 hours, wherein the HEMT comprises a passivation layer on a surface of the HEMT, the passivation layer including silicon nitride (SiN).
40. The HEMT of claim 36 having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.40 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of from about −8 volts to about −14 volts and a temperature of about 140° C. for from about 10 to about 62 hours, the HEMT comprising a GaN channel layer having a thickness of about 6.0 μm and wherein about but about 1.0 μm of the GaN channel layer is doped with Fe to a concentration of from about 2×10 16 cm −3 to about 2×10 18 cm −3 .
41. The HEMT of claim 36 , having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.25 dB when operated at a V DS of about 56 volts, a V gs of about −8 volts to and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 10 hours, wherein the HEMT comprises:
a GaN channel layer having a thickness of about 6.0 μm; and
an AlGaN layer on the GaN channel layer, having from about 15 to about 30 percent Al and a thickness of from about 15 to about 40 nm.
42. The HEMT of claim 36 having a power degradation of not greater than about 0.45 dB when operated at a V DS of from about 28 to about 70 volts, a V gs of about −3.3 to about −14 and a temperature of about 140° C. for about 6 to about 100 hours, wherein the HEMT comprises a GaN channel layer having a thickness of about 6.0 μm and wherein all but about 1.0 μm of the GaN channel layer is doped with Fe to a concentration of from about 2×10 16 cm −3 to about 2×10 18 cm −3 .