Scaled Ultra-Wide Bandgap AlGaN Polarization-Graded FET with Ultra-thin Buffer Layer

TL;DR

This paper introduces ultra-wide bandgap AlGaN polarization-graded FETs with ultra-thin buffers, achieving high current density, high-frequency performance, and significantly reduced thermal resistance for advanced RF applications.

Contribution

It presents a novel AlGaN PolFET design with polarization grading and ultra-thin buffers, improving thermal management and high-frequency performance over existing transistors.

Findings

Imax over 800mA/mm achieved

fT/fmax of 26/28 GHz demonstrated

Thermal resistance reduced to 12 K.mm/W

Abstract

We report on the design and demonstration of ultra-wide bandgap AlGaN polarization-graded field effect transistors with ultra-thin channels to enable excellent current density and high-frequency performance while significantly reducing thermal resistance. We use polarization-graded AlGaN layers and ultra-thin pseudomorphic AlGaN buffer layers to enable low thermal resistance and excellent structural quality. The polarization-graded field effect transistors (PolFETs) demonstrated here show Imax over 800mA/mm and current/power gain cutoff frequency (fT/fmax) of 26/28 GHz. Small signal modeling and analysis were used to determine parasitic/transit delays, and gate-resistance thermometry was implemented to thermally characterize AlGaN PolFET and benchmark against state-of-the-art AlGaN HEMTs. The ultra-thin AlGaN PolFET showed thermal resistance of 12 K.mm/W, representing a significant reduction from typical AlGaN transistors. These results show state-of-art combination of high current density, excellent fT-LG product for ultra-wide bandgap AlGaN transistors, and superior thermal performance, and highlight the promise of AlGaN transistors for future RF and mm-wave applications.