Improvement of breakdown characteristics of an AlGaN/GaN HEMT with a U-type gate foot for millimeter-wave power application

In this study, the physics-based device simulation tool Silvaco ATLAS is used to characterize the electrical properties of an AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with a U-type gate foot. The U-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMT mainly features a gradually changed sidewall angle, which effectively mitigates the electric field in the channel, thus obtaining enhanced off-state breakdown characteristics. At the same time, only a small additional gate capacitance and decreased gate resistance ensure excellent RF characteristics for the U-gate device. U-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs are feasible through adjusting the etching conditions of an inductively coupled plasma system, without introducing any extra process steps. The simulation results are confirmed by experimental measurements. These features indicate that U-gate AlGaN/GaN HEMTs might be promising candidates for use in millimeter-wave power applications. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)