ADVANCED HFET DEVICES AND CIRCUITS FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE, HIGH-RELIABILITY RF ELECTRONICS

In this program, Magellus will employ metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and novel device processing technologies to develop large-area III-nitride HFET devices and RF circuits that are capable of operation at high frequencies (above 20GHz), high powers and power densities (above 10W total power and 10W/mm power density), and high temperatures (above 300C). Magellus has developed several unique nitride HFET device structures that will be employed in this program. One important application for these devices will be the realization of high-performance transmit/receive RF circuits for high-efficiency radar systems. The theoretical performance of the novel Magellus HFET device structures is estimated to be at least a factor of three above the best values for nitride HFETs currently reported in the literature. By using novel AlGaN/GaN HFET device designs (developed in an MDA-sponsored Phase I STTR program recently completed by Magellus) combined with the use of proprietary novel device passivation procedures (initial work performed under a second MDA Phase I SBIR which Magellus has recently completed) and Ohmic contact designs, we will develop high-performance RF power devices, which will be incorporated into high-power RF circuits in Phase II of this SBIR.