GaAs MESFET logic with 4-GHz clock rate

Monolithic digital ICs with GaAs MESFETs have been built and operated at clock frequencies up to 4.5 GHz. The fabrication process uses selenium-implanted n-channels and a two-level Cr-Pt-Au metallization with 1-μm linewidth and 1-μm alignment tolerances. NOR gates with 86-ps propagation delay and 40-mW power consumption have been realized. Binary frequency dividers have been designed with master-slave flip-flops operating from dc up to an average maximum frequency of 4 GHz. In addition, more complex circuits have been integrated on single chips. A general-purpose octal counter with input gating and output buffering and an 8-bit multiplexer/serial data generator exhibit stable and reliable operation.