III-Nitrides-based electronics for future microwave systems

Research Project, 2011 – 2016

In future wireless communication, sensor, and radar systems there is a need to amplify and generate high frequency power levels. GaN-based electronics is a potential solution for these applications. To sustain Swedish industry’s competiveness more research is needed to understand and develop this technology to be able to assess its possibilities and limitations. This requires a continued effort in material science and electric engineering in terms of material growth and characterization, failure mechanisms at material and device levels, device design, fabrication, characterization and modelling, circuit design, and system integration. The objective of the proposal is • Explore the potential of advanced III-Nitride semiconductors in systems for frequencies above100 GHz. This is done by • Exploring the high frequency limits of GaN based HEMTs by evaluating advanced structures • Investigating novel WBG devices for frequency generation and detection • Designing, fabricating , characterizing, and modelling advanced III-Nitrides microwave devices and circuits The major goals and challenges of this proposal are: • Growth of advanced III-Nitrides HEMT heterostructures with enhanced electronic transport proper-ties compared to standard GaN-based structures • Advanced high frequency (75-120 GHz) and high power HEMTs (500 mW) with performances sig¬nificantly exceeding those of today’s technologies. • Demonstration of GaN-based integrated circuits (MMICs) working above 100 GHz