First Reliability Demonstration of Sub-200-nm AlN/GaN-on-Silicon Double-Heterostructure HEMTs for Ka-Band Applications

In this paper, an emerging double-heterostructure high-electron mobility transistor based on AlN/GaN/AlGaN grown on silicon substrate is presented, which enables a unique simultaneous achievement of high breakdown voltage and high frequency performance. This configuration system allowed state-of-the-art GaN-on-silicon dc, RF output power, and noise performances at 40 GHz, paving the way for high-performance millimeter-wave (mmW) cost-effective amplifiers. Preliminary reliability assessment has been performed on this new class of RF devices, showing promising mmW GaN-on-Si device stability for the first time.