High reliability of 0.1 /spl mu/m MMIC amplifiers on both AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs and InGaAs/InAlAs/InP HEMTs

The high-reliability performance of MMIC amplifiers fabricated using 0.1 /spl mu/m T-gate on both AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs and InGaAs/InAlAs/InP HEMTs is reported. Operating at an accelerated life test condition, two-stage balanced MMIC amplifiers were lifetested at three-temperatures (T/sub 1/=255/spl deg/C, T/sub 2/=270/spl deg/C and T/sub 3/=285/spl deg/C for GaAs HEMT; T/sub 1/=215/spl deg/C, T/sub 2/=230/spl deg/C and T/sub 3/=250/spl deg/C for InP HEMT) in an either air or N/sub 2/ ambient. For GaAs HEMT technology, the activation energy (Ea) is as high as 1.7 eV, achieving a projected median-time-to-failure (MTF)>6/spl times/10/sup 9/ hours at 125/spl deg/C junction temperature. For InP HEMT technology, the activation energy (Ea) is greater than 2 eV, achieving a projected median-time-to-failure (MTF)>1/spl times/10/sup 9/ hours at 125/spl deg/C junction temperature. MTF was determined by 3T constant current stress using |/spl Delta/S21|>1.0 dB as the failure criteria. The results demonstrate the high reliability of MMIC amplifiers fabricated using 0.1 /spl mu/m T-gate on both AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs and InGaAs/InAlAs/InP HEMTs based on small-signal microwave characteristics of HEMT MMICs.