GaN Power MOSFET for Ka Band Power Amplifier

We propose to take the next steps in demonstrating a highly linear GaN/AlGaN MOSFET-based power amplifier that will be have increased power, improved linearity, high bandwidth, and improved adjacent channel power ratio over that presently achieved inother GaAs and GaN power amplifiers through Ka band. In this work, OSEMI will use it improved Gate-Oxide technology to form the gate passivating and insulating layer upon high performance GaN/AlGaN HEMT structures by MBE. We will use this new MBEtechnology to (1) optimize the nucleation of oxide on GaN/AlGaN Power MOSFET Structures, (2) grow bulk oxide films with a bandgap in excess of 4.5eV, (3) and produce oxide films that possess good interface properties and a low residual conductivity (4) andFabricate Power FETs in collaboration with the University of Michigan. Devices will characterized at DC and RF frequencies, and load pull measurements using the University of Michigan's unique load-pull capability will be utilized in Phase I. Devices willbe modeled using G-PICES-IIB and in Phase II it is anticipated that the prototype GaN/AlGaN MOSFET power amplifier will be fabricated and tested at OSEMI utilizing newly acquired processing equipment. The development of a high quality gate oxide forGaN/AlGaN Power HEMTs will revolutionize the semiconductor industry by enabling a new class of highly linear lower noise power amplifiers that are compatible with the gate leakage levels of Si-LDMOS. We anticipate that the resulting FET technology wouldbe able to operate at very high microwave and MM-wave frequencies and find use in DOD relevant missile, satellite, and land based applications. We also anticipate that this new GaN-MOS technology would find numerous applications in the commercial microwaveelectronics including enhancement mode power amplifiers for wireless base stations.