Sumitomo Electric Industries, has developed a gallium nitride transistor (GaN-HEMT) that uses N-polar GaN and, for the gate insulating layer, making it the world's first hafnium (Hf)-based, highly heat-resistant, high-dielectric material. GaN-HEMTs are widely used in high-frequency amplifier applications, including 5G. In the future post-5G era, the transistors used in communication devices will be required to support higher power and higher frequencies for an increased volume of data transmission.
Conventionally, Ga-polar (0001 orientation) GaN has been widely used. Along with the demand for higher power and higher frequencies, attention is being focused on the improvement of characteristics with N-polarity (000-1 orientation) (the crystal orientation is different from that of the Ga-polarity), which enables an inverted HEMT structure that increases the degree of freedom in device design and can reduce leakage current (shown in Fig. 1). N-polar crystals have a problem of being prone to irregularities caused by abnormal growth called hillocks. In addition, in terms of device design, the realization of an inverted HEMT structure requires the development of a high-quality gate-insulating layer that would serve as a barrier against the gate electrode in place of the conventional semiconductor barrier layer.
Fig. 1
Therefore, Sumitomo Electric has utilized its years of experience in crystal growth technology to realize high-quality N-polar crystals without hillocks (shown in Fig. 2). In addition, by applying a type of hafnium (Hf)-based highly heat-resistant and high-dielectric material, used in state-of-the-art Si transistors, to the challenging gate insulating layer for the first time in history, the Company completed an N-polar crystal transistor incorporating a high-dielectric material and achieved excellent high-frequency characteristics (shown in Fig. 3).
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
This achievement is the result of the "Research and Development Project for Strengthening Post-5G Telecommunication System Infrastructure" commissioned by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The details were announced on October 17, 2022 (local time) at the 2022 IEEE BiCMOS and Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuits and Technology Symposium (BCICTS) held in Phoenix, the United States.
GaN-HEMTs, which excel in high-frequency characteristics and low power consumption, are essential for the post-5G era. Therefore, expectations are placed on further improvement of their characteristics. Sumitomo Electric will continue to develop technology and contribute to further sophistication of high-frequency communications, energy saving, and decarbonization of society.
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