Voltage tunable plasma resonances in induced-base hot-electron transistors

Abstract

The excitation of the standing plasma waves in induced-base hot-electron transistors (IBHETs) and its impact on the IBHET high-frequency operation are considered. It is shown that the plasma waves result in resonant behavior of the IBHET performance at high frequencies. The frequency dependent small-signal transconductance of the IBHET is calculated using an analytical model. The resonant frequencies and the sharpness of the resonant peaks are found as functions of structural parameters and bias voltage. The resonant frequencies can correspond to the terahertz range. The resonant transconductance can significantly exceed the steady-state transconductances of the IBHET.