First RF Power Operation of AlN/GaN/AlN HEMTs With >3 A/mm and 3 W/mm at 10 GHz

Abstract

The AlN/GaN/AlN heterostructure is attractive for microwave and millimeter-wave power devices due to its thin top barrier, tight carrier confinement, and improved breakdown voltage. This work explores the large-signal RF performance of high-electron-mobility transistors on this heterostructure. Results are highlighted by record high on-current of 3.6 A/mm, and record maximum oscillation frequency ( $f_{max}$ ) of 233 GHz. The load-pull power sweep at 10 GHz demonstrate a peak power added efficiency (PAE) of 22.7% with an associated gain ( $G_{T}$ ) of 8.7 dB and output power ( $P_{out}$ ) of 3 W/mm. When optimized for power, the peak $P_{out}$ of 3.3 W/mm has an associated PAE of 14.7% and $G_{T}$ of 3.2 dB. This first demonstration is encouraging for the mm-wave power potential of the AlN/GaN/AlN HEMT.