Title :
On-state breakdown in power HEMTs: measurements and modeling
Author :
Somerville, Mark H. ; Blanchard, Roxann ; Del Alamo, Jesus A. ; Duh, K. George ; Chao, P.C.
Author_Institution :
MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
fDate :
6/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
We have carried out a systematic study of on-state breakdown in a sample set of InAlAs/InGaAs HEMT´s using a new gate current extraction technique in conjunction with sidegate and temperature-dependent measurements. We find that as the device is turned on, the breakdown voltage limiting mechanism changes from a TFE-dominated process to a multiplication-dominated process. This physical understanding allows the creation of a phenomenological physical model for breakdown which agrees well with all our experimental results, and explains the relationship between BVon and the sheet carrier concentration. Our results suggest that depending on device design, either on-state or off-state breakdown can limit maximum power
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; carrier density; gallium arsenide; impact ionisation; indium compounds; microwave field effect transistors; microwave power transistors; millimetre wave field effect transistors; millimetre wave power transistors; power HEMT; semiconductor device breakdown; semiconductor device measurement; semiconductor device models; InAlAs-InGaAs; TFE-dominated process; breakdown voltage limiting mechanism; gate current extraction technique; multiplication-dominated process; off-state breakdown; on-state breakdown; phenomenological physical model; power HEMTs; sheet carrier concentration; sidegate measurements; temperature-dependent measurements; Chaos; Current measurement; Electric breakdown; HEMTs; Impact ionization; Indium compounds; Indium gallium arsenide; Power measurement; Power system modeling; Temperature measurement;
Journal_Title :
Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on
