III-Nitrides-based electronics for future microwave systems
- Reference number
- RE10-0067
- Start and end dates
- 110301-170630
- Amount granted
- 24 944 000 SEK
- Administrative organization
- Chalmers University of Technology
- Research area
- Information, Communication and Systems Technology
Summary
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
Popular science description
Halvledare med stora bandgap har egenskaper som gör att man kan tillverka transistorer som ger mer effekt vid höga frekvenser jämfört med konventionella halvledare som kisel. Ett exempel på sådan halvledare är gallium nitrid GaN. Komponenter tillverkade på GaN kan användas i mikrovågssysystem där uteffekt och energieffektivitet är av betydelse, såsom radiobasstationer för mobiltelefoni, mikrovågslänkar och radarsystem. Detta är områden där svensk industri (Ericsson och Saab) har en stark position, och det är därför viktigt att forskning inom området bedrivs i Sverige. I detta projekt skall Linköping Universitet växa avancerade GaN-baserade material. På Chalmers ska sedan transisorer tillverkas och utvärderas för användning i industrirelevanta applikationer.