• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.48 no.11
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

One of the most important parameters that limit maximum output power of transistor is breakdown. InAlAs/InGaAs/GaAs Metamorphic HEMTs (MHEMTs) have some advantages, especially for cost, compared with InP-based ones. However, GaAs-based MHEMTs and InP-based HEMTs are limited by lower breakdown voltage for output power even though they have good microwave and millimeter-wave frequency performance with lower minimum noise figure. In this paper, InAlAs/$In_xGa_{1-x}As$/GaAs MHEMTs are simulated and analyzed for breakdown. The parameters affecting breakdown are investigated in the fabricated 0.1-${\mu}m$ ${\Gamma}$-gate MHEMT device having the modulation-doped $In_{0.52}Al_{0.48}As/In_{0.53}Ga_{0.47}As$ heterostructure on the GaAs wafer using the hydrodynamic transport model of a 2D commercial device simulator. The impact ionization and gate field effect in the fabricated device including deep-level traps are analyzed for breakdown. In addition, Indium mole-fraction-dependent impact ionization rates are proposed empirically for $In_{0.52}Al_{0.48}As/In_xGa_{1-x}As$/GaAs MHEMTs.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.43 no.4 s.346
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• pp.8-15
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• 2006

In this paper, the 94 GHz, low conversion loss, and high isolation single balanced mixer is designed and fabricated using GaAs-based metamorphic high electron mobility transistors (MHEMTs) with 70 nm gate length and the hybrid ring coupler with the micromachined transmission lines, dielectric-supported air-gapped microstrip lines (DAMLs). The 70 nm MHEMT devices exhibit DC characteristics with a drain current density of 607 mA/mm an extrinsic transconductance of 1015 mS/mm. The current gain cutoff frequency ($f_T$) and maximum oscillation frequency ($f_{max}$) are 320 GHz and 430 GHz, respectively. The fabricated hybrid ring coupler shows wideband characteristics of the coupling loss of $3.57{\pm}0.22dB$ and the transmission loss of $3.80{\pm}0.08dB$ in the measured frequency range of 85 GHz to 105 GHz. This mixer shows that the conversion loss and isolation characteristics are $2.5dB{\sim}>2.8dB$ and under -30 dB, respectively, in the range of $93.65GHz{\sim}94.25GHz$. At the center frequency of 94 GHz, this mixer shows the minimum conversion loss of 2.5 dB at a LO power of 6 dBm To our knowledge, these results are the best performances demonstrated from 94 GHz single balanced mixer utilizing GaAs-based HEMTs in terms of conversion loss as well as isolation characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.637-641
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• 2006

We present the DC and RF characteristics of 100 nm gate length InGaAs/InAlAs/GaAs metamorphic high electron mobility transistors (MHEMTs). We fabricated the T-gate with 100 nm foot print by using a positive resist ZEP520/P (MMA-MAA)/PMMA trilayer by double exposure method. The fabricated 100 nm MHEMT with a $70\;{\mu}m$ unit gate width and two fingers were characterized through do and rf measurements. The maximum drain current density of 465 mA/mm and extrinsic transconductance $(g_m)$ of 844 mS/mm were obtained with our devices. From rf measurements, we obtained the current gain cut-off frequency $(f_T)$ of 192 GHz, and maximum oscillation frequency $(f_{max})$ 310 GHz.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea TC
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• v.48 no.11
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• pp.89-94
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• 2011

In this paper, we developed the W-band MMIC low noise amplifier for the millimeter-wave seeker using the tuner system. The MHEMT devices for MMIC LNA exhibited DC characteristics with a drain current density of 692mA/mm, an extrinsic transconductance of 726mS/mm. The current gain cutoff frequency(fT) and maximum oscillation frequency($f_{max}$) were 195GHz and 305GHz, respectively. The fabricated W-band low noise amplifier represented S21 gain of 7.42dB at 94 GHz and noise figure of 2.8dB at 94.2 GHz.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.23-27
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• 2013

This paper is for enhancing the breakdown voltage of MHEMTs with an InP-etchstop layer. Gate-recess structures has been simulated and analyzed for the breakdown of the devices with the InP-etchstop layer. The fully removed recess structure in the drain side of MHEMT shows that the breakdown voltage enhances from 2V to almost 4V and that the saturation current at gate voltage of 0V is reduced from 90mA to 60mA at drain voltage of 2V. This is because the electron-captured negatively fixed charges at the drain-side interface between the InAlAs barrier layer and the $Si_3N_4$ passivation layer deplete the InGaAs channel layer more and thus decreases the electron current passing the channel layer. In the paper, the fully-recessed asymmetric gate-recess structure at the drain side shows the on-breakdown voltage enhancement from 2V to 4V in the MHEMTs.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.53-57
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• 2012

This paper is for accurately simulating the breakdown of MHEMTs with an InP-etchstop layer. 2D-Hydrodynamic simulation parameters are investigated and calibrated for the InP-epitaxy layer. With these calibrated parameters, simulations are performed and analyzed for the breakdown of devices with an InP-etchstop layer. In the paper, the impact-ionization coefficients, the mobility degradation due to doping concentration, and the saturation velocity for InP-epitaxy layer are newly calibrated for more accurate breakdown simulation.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.765-768
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• 2005

In this paper, high LO-RF isolation 94 GHz MMIC single-balanced mixer was designed and fabricated using a branch line coupler and a ${\lambda}/4$ transmission line. The 94 GHz MMIC single-balanced mixer was designed using the 0.1 ${\mu}m$ InGaAs/InAlAs/GaAs Metamorphic HEMT(MHEMT) diode. The fabricated MHEMT was obtained the cut-off frequency($f_T$) of 189 GHz and the maximum oscillation frequency($f_{max}$) of 334 GHz. The designed MMIC single-balanced mixer was fabricated using 0.1 ${\mu}m$ MHEMT MMIC process. From the measurement, the conversion loss of the single-balanced mixer was 23.1 dB at an LO power of 10 dBm. The LO-RF isolations of single-balanced mixer was obtained 45.5 dB at 94.19 GHz. We obtained in this study a higher LO-RF isolation compared to some other balanced mixers in millimeter-wave frequencies.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.50-54
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• 2015

In this paper, we report on a high performance 94 GHz MMIC mixer module using 0.1-um metamorphic high electron mobility transistors (MHEMTs). A modified resistive mixer with a RF amplifier was proposed in this work for low conversion loss and high LO-RF isolation. The MMIC mixer module was fabricated using a MMIC chip and CPW-waveguide transitions. The fabricated mixer chip and module showed a low conversion loss of 6.3 dB and 9.5 dB, and LO-RF isolations of 24.8 and 30.4 dB at 94 GHz, respectively. This results are superior to those of previously W-band (75-110 GHz) MMIC mixers.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.48-53
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• 2008

In this paper, we developed the MMIC low noise amplifier using 100 nm metamorphic HEMTs technology in combination with coplanar circuit topology for 94 GHz applications. The $100nm\times60{\mu}m$ MHEMT devices for the MMIC LNA exhibited DC characteristics with a drain current density of 655 mA/mm, an extrinsic transconductance of 720 mS/mm. The current gain cutoff frequency $(f_T)$ and maximum oscillation frequency $(f_{max})$ were 195 GHz and 305 GHz, respectively. The realized MMIC LNA represented $S_{21}$ gain of 14.8 dB and noise figure of 4.6 dB at 94 GHz with an over-all chip size of $1.8mm\times1.48mm$.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.44 no.9
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• pp.25-33
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• 2007

In this paper, the high isolation and wideband 94 GHz MIMIC(Millimeter-wave Monolithic Integrated Circuit) single balanced cascode mixer was designed and fabricated. Also, we designed and fabricated a 3 dB tandem coupler which has a high isolation and wideband characteristic. The single balanced resistive mixer which does not require an external IF balun was designed using the 0.1 ${\mu}m$ InGaAs/InAlAs/GaAs metamorphic HEMT(High Electron Mobility Transistor). The DC characteristics of MHEMT's are 665 mA/mm of drain current density, 691 mS/mm of maximum transconductance. The current gain cut-off frequency($f_T$) is 189 GHz and the maximum oscillation frequency($f_{max}$) is 334 GHz. A 94 GHz single balanced cascode mixer was fabricated using our 0.1 ${\mu}m$ MHEMT MIMIC process. From the measurements, the fabricated couplers showed wideband characteristics. The conversion loss of single balanced cascode mixer was 9.8 dB at an LO power of 10.9 dBm. The LO to RF isolation of single balanced cascode mixer was 29.5 dB at 94 GHz. We obtained in this study a higher LO-RF isolation compared to some other single balanced mixers.