High Performance InAs-Channel HEMT for Low Voltage Milimeter Wave Applications

An 80-nm InP HEMT with InAs channel and InGaAs sub-channels has been fabricated. The high current gain cutoff frequency (ft) of 350 GHz and maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) of 360 GHz were obtained at VDS = 0.7 V due to the high electron mobility in the InAs channel. DC and RF characterizations on the device have been performed and the on- sate breakdown voltage of the device was measured to be 1.75 V. A 2-stage MMIC gain block was designed using such device. A simulated gain of better than 12 dB from 54 GHz to 71 GHz with only 14 mW DC power consumption was achieved. Such high performance HEMTs demonstrated in this study shows great potential for very low power millimeter wave applications.