In_0.5(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.5 HEMTs for high-efficiency low-voltage power amplifiers: design, fabrication, and device results

In_0.5(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.5 high electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) are expected to have higher two-dimensional electron gas density and larger current drive capability than both Al_0.23Ga_0.77As and In_0.5Ga _0.5P HEMTs due to the improved conduction-band offsets. In this paper, we performed a systematic investigation of the electrical properties of In_0.5(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.5 P (0⩽x⩽1) material system lattice matched to GaAs. By considering the conduction-band offset, direct-to-indirect-band electron transfer, donor-related deep levels, and Schottky barrier height, a relatively narrow range of the Al content 0.2⩽x⩽0.3 was found to be the optimum for the design of In_0.5(Al_xGa_1-x)_0.5 HEMTs. Under 1.2-V operation, power transistors with the optimum aluminum composition show high drain current density, high transconductance, and excellent power-added efficiency (65.2% at 850 MHz). These results demonstrate that InAlGaP HEMTs are promising candidates for high-efficiency low-voltage power applications