Highly doped thin-channel GaN-metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors

We report on the influence of the channel doping on dc, high frequency, and noise performance of GaN metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs) grown on sapphire substrates. The devices with the channel thicknesses from 50 to 70 nm and doping levels up to 1.5x10(18) cm(-3) were investigated. An increase in the channel doping results in the improved dc characteristics, higher cutoff, and maximum oscillation frequencies, and reduced low frequency and microwave noise. The obtained results demonstrate that the dc and microwave performance characteristics of short-channel GaN MESFETs may be comparable to those for conventional AlGaN/GaN heterostructure FETs. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.