A high-performance enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMT

An enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN HEMT with a threshold voltage of 0.35 V was fabricated by fluorine plasma treatment. The enhancement-mode device demonstrates high-performance DC characteristics with a saturation current density of 667 mA/mm at a gate bias of 4 V and a peak transconductance of 201 mS/mm at a gate bias of 0.8 V. The current-gain cut-off frequency and the maximum oscillation frequency of the enhancement-mode device with a gate length of 1 mu m are 10.3 GHz and 12.5 GHz, respectively, which is comparable with the depletion-mode device. A numerical simulation supported by SIMS results was employed to give a reasonable explanation that the fluorine ions act as an acceptor trap center in the barrier layer.