Influence of Field Plates and Surface Traps on Microwave Silicon Carbide MESFETs

The influence of field plates and surface traps on silicon carbide MESFETs for microwave operation was investigated. By increasing the length of gate-connected field plates from 50 to 800 nm, it was possible to increase the gate-drain breakdown voltage of the devices from 125 to 170 V. At the same time, the current slump effect of traps in the passivation oxide was reduced. By using a combination of field plates and a passivation oxide with low interface trap density, it was possible to reach an output power density of 8 W/mm at 3 GHz.