Abstract
Abstract The effects of thickness in metal–semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) GaAs buffer on the device electrical performance and reliability have been investigated. Devices studied are 0.8-μm-gate GaAs MESFETs at different buffer thickness of 0.5 and 0.3 μm from similar MBE-grown processes. Three-terminal off-state breakdown measurements indicate that a substantial enhancement in the observed breakdown current for thinner-buffer MESFETs is attributed to the drain–source leakage or breakdown through the channel–substrate interface while the device is at pinch-off. DC and RF biased stress lifetests up to 323 °C channel temperature have been performed to accelerate the degradation mechanisms. It is found that the device degradation rate has little dependence on buffer thickness when stressed at a reversed gate–drain voltage below ∼70% of its breakdown threshold. The differences grow rapidly when biased close to the breakdown field because of the development of channel–substrate current in thinner buffer materials.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call