Numerical Analysis of AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs pHEMT

Introduction. In most technological processes, the parameters of transistors may exhibit variations in values. As a result, integrated circuit (IC) parameters may spread beyond the nominal values stated in the technological specification. Parametric reliability of the designed devices is an important goal of parametric analysis based on simulation. This paper presents a numerical analysis of a pseudomorphic GaAs/AlGaAs/InGaAs high electron mobility transistor conducted in the TCAD environment. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the drain and transfer characteristics taking into account 10% deviations from the pHEMT parameters specified by the manufacturer. High-frequency properties of the simulated pHEMT are evaluated. The effect of the spacer thickness on the drain and drain-gate characteristics is analyzed. The work is based on a large amount of experimental data.
Aim. Numerical analysis of a pseudomorphic AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs high electron mobility transistor in the TCAD environment.
Materials and methods. The simulation approach involved solving the fundamental equations of semiconductor electronics using numerical analysis methods. A hydrodynamic two-dimensional numerical pHEMT model was used, which takes into account the influence of quantum wells, the effects of non-stationary dynamics, and the phenomena of charge carrier transport. The experimental data of pHEMT were obtained at the production facility of JSC Svetlana-Rost.
Results. The conducted parametric analysis revealed the concentration of the AlGaAs donor layer to be a critical parameter having a significant impact on the characteristics of pHEMT transistors. Changes in the channel length, gate length, and gate depth in the GaAs layer have a less pronounced effect on the electrical characteristics of pHEMT. The drain and drain-gate characteristics of the numerical model of pHEMT demonstrated a high degree of agreement with the experimental data. The experimental and calculated I–V characteristics obtained by varying the thickness of the spacer layer made it possible to clarify the value of the spacer thickness implemented in production conditions. As part of this analysis, the dependence of the cutoff frequency on the gate voltage was obtained.
Conclusion. The conducted analysis revealed the parameters affecting the characteristics of the numerical model of GaAs/AlGaAs/InGaAs pHEMT. Critical deviations of the studied characteristics were detected as a result of 10 % variation in the concentration of the AlGaAs donor layer. The analysis of experimental and calculated I–V characteristics, under varied spacer values, established the spacer thickness which showed agreement with the experimental structures. Parametric stability is a critical aspect in the production of microelectronic devices, affecting reliability, durability, performance, and compliance with standards. Improved parametric stability reduces the level of defects and optimizes production processes.

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