THE INNOVATIONS PROPOSED HERE ARE KA-BAND (38 GHZ) GROUP III-NITRIDE POWER FETS AND THE DISLOCATION DENSITY…

Public award description

THE INNOVATIONS PROPOSED HERE ARE KA-BAND (38 GHZ) GROUP III-NITRIDE POWER FETS AND THE DISLOCATION DENSITY REDUCING EPITAXIAL GROWTH METHODS (LPE) NEEDED FOR THEIR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY. KA-BAND POWER TRANSISTORS WITH>60% POWER ADDED EFFICIENCY (PAE) ARE NOT COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE. THE PRIMARY LIMITATIONS TO THEIR MANUFACTURE ARE LACK OF MATURE PROCESS TECHNOLOGY AT MAJOR GAN FOUNDRIES FOR SIB-100NM LITHOGRAPHY NECESSARY FOR GATE DEFINITION, AND THE DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING LOW DISLOCATION DENSITY GAN TEMPLATES IN A SUITABLE WAFER SIZE FORMAT (3-INCH SIC AND 6-INCH SI) FOR MASS PRODUCTION. DEMONSTRATION OF KA-BAND OPERATION IN THE GROUP III-NITRIDES HAS, TO DATE, BEEN PRIMARILY THE REALM OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH LABS. IIIAN'S PROPOSAL BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE NITRIDE FOUNDRY CAPABILITIES AND PURE RESEARCH BY UTILIZING PROVEN PROCESS TECHNOLOGY AT RFMD FOR PROCESSES NOT REQUIRING DEEP, SUBMICRON LITHOGRAPHY AND UTILIZING STATE-OF-THE-ART NANOFABRICATION TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA'S NANOFABRICATION CENTER.