Microwave generation in NERFET

Microwave generation in a NEgative Resistance Field-Effect Transistor (NERFET) is reported for the first time. This device is based on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure which exhibits negative differential resistance due to a transfer of hot-electrons out of a source-drain channel and into a conducting substrate. In an untuned microwave circuit at 77 K, the NERFET was found to generate wide-band noise at frequencies up to 2.3 GHz. In a tunable resonant circuit, stable microwave oscillations were observed at frequencies as high as 1.45 GHz. While further experiments are needed to determine the performance limits of the NERFET, the preliminary results presented here demonstrate the potential of this new device as a high-frequency element.