JFET, MESFET and HEMT Devices

(other than MOSFET)

Lecture -7

Outline
1. Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET)
Structure, Principle , II-V characteristics , Applications

2. Metal-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor

(MESFET)
structure, Principle, II-V characteristics, Applications
I-V comparison of JFET and MESFET

3. High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT)

Structure, Principle , Band diagram, Applications
Comparison of Gate control in JFET, MESFET and HEMT
2

Junction Field Effect Transistor

(JFET)
The FET operates by the effects of an electric field on the
flow of electrons through a single type of
semiconductor. This is reason that FET is sometimes
called a unipolar transistor (JFET).
First JFET was proposed and analyzed by Shockley in
1952, basically a voltage controlled resistor. But first
working JFET was reported by Dacey and Ross .
3

JFET Structure
JFET (n - channel)
An n-type channel is formed between two
p-type layers (connected as gate).
gate)
Majority carrier electrons flow from the
source to drain (forming
forming drain current)
pn junction is reverse biased operation,
and this widens the depletion layers which
extend into n -channel
(since the doping of the p regions is
much larger than that of the n channel).
As depletion layers widen, the channel
narrows, restricting current flow.
4

Junction FET (JFET)

FET = Field Effect Transistor the flow of charge carriers is
influenced by electric field

Flow
Channel

depletion layer

JUNCTION FET: depletion layers of pn-junctions close

the channel

Most important parameter:

U0 pinch-off voltage

transversal field is
used to control

Unipolar device: current is conducted by majority carriers

Power needed for controlling the device 0
5

JFET Realization
Realization::

The width of the closed PN junction controls the

conductivity of the channel
PN junction junction FET

channel

depletion layer
6

JFET Principle
1- Ohmic region

JFET Principle
2- Saturation region

JFET Equations

Junction FET (JFET)

Symbols:
n channel

Characteristics:

p channel

controlled resistor (see later the

triode region of MOSFETs)

no saturation

saturation

pinch off voltage

10

I-V Characteristic

Fig. 2 General I- V characteristics

of the JFET

Fig. 4 Drift velocity vs. electric field for

Si and semiconductors that do not have
a transferred-electron effect.
11

Effect of Constant and saturation

velocity

Fig. 7 A qualitative comparison of I-V curves under

models of (a) constant mobility and (b) velocity
saturation

12

Calculation of pinch off voltage

U(x)
W
S
d

dh(x)

width of depl.
layer

geom. width
of channel

x
0

Pinch off: d geom. width = 2 x width of depletion layer

2
2
d 2
U D U 2
U D |U0 |
qN d
qN d

qN d 2
U0
d
8
13

Problem
Determine the pinch off voltage of a Si JFET, if the channel
width is d = 4 m and the doping is Nd = 1015/cm3 !

qN d 2
U0
d
8
19

21

1,6 10 10
6 2
U0
(
4

10
)

3
,
06
V
12
8 11,8 8,86 10

14

JFET Advantages
Unipolar device (one polarity of charge carrier)
Voltage controlled (gate voltage controls drain current)
High input impedance (109-1012 )
No minority carrier storage
Source and drain are interchangeable in most lowfrequency applications

15

MESFET

16

Metal--Semiconductor Field Effect

Metal
Transistor (MESFET)
MESFET operates virtually identical to the JFET, except
that the gate is a reverse biased Schottky barrier diode.
Generally MESFETs are fabricated on III-Vs semiconductors
(e.g. GaAs, InP, GaN).
Because III-V semiconductors have semi-insulating (i.e. low
intrinsic carrier concentration) substrates, the devices are
often fabricated using mesa isolation.

17

MESFET structure
GaAs MESFET structure is shown below:

The source and drain contacts are ohmic

18

MESFET Band diagram

qm

qs

qs

qb

qVbi

Ec
EF

Metal

n-Type s.c.

Metal

n-Type s.c.

EV
Energy-band Diagram before contact

qm = Metal Work Function

qs = Semiconductor Electron Affinity

Energy-band Diagram after contact

qs = Semiconductor Work Function

Reference Energy Level (Vacuum)

Schottky-barrier formed when metal deposited on semiconductor

Ref: Inder Bahl and Prakash Bhartia, Microwave Solid State Circuit Design, A Wiley-Interscience Publication, 1988

19

Channel Control in JFET and MESFET

Schematic structures of (a) JFET and (b) MESFET,

showing their similarity in that the net channel opening b is
controlled by the depletion width W.
20

MESFET Operation
S

G
DR
-

VGS controls channel (DR)

VDS drifts carriers
Fully depleted channel
= pinch off condition (V
(Vpinch)

Depletion region forms under schottky contact (gate) and

controls the flow of current in the channel (n-type) layer.
Device therefore behaves as voltage controlled switch,
capable of very high speed modulation.
Ref: Inder Bahl and Prakash Bhartia, Microwave Solid State Circuit Design, A Wiley-Interscience Publication, 1988
21

MESFET Operation

Ref: Inder Bahl and Prakash Bhartia, Microwave Solid State Circuit Design, A Wiley-Interscience Publication, 1988
22

MESFET II-V Characteristics

Drain Current

VGS=0

VGS = -0.5
VGS = -1

Drain Voltage

23

MESFET II-V Characteristics

The MESFET operation is illustrated by the figure below from S.M. Sze.

24

MESFET Application
The Major Applications Include :
Wireless Communication
Microwave Circuits
High Power
High Frequency
Power Amplifiers

25

MESFET Application

MESFETs usually constructed in compound semiconductors

lacking high quality surface passivation such as GaAs, InP, or SiC,
and faster but more expensive than Si-JFETs or MOSFETs

MESFETs are operated above 30 GHz, and are commonly used

for microwave frequency communications and radar etc.

In digital circuit design, it is difficult to use as the basis for digital

integrated circuits as the scale of integration goes up, compared
to CMOS Si-fabrication

The MESFET gate should, in transistor mode, be biased such

that the metal semiconductor diode is not forward biased

26

Comparison of SiC and GaAs MESFET

Drain Source Voltage and Drain Saturation Current
SiC devices have a higher VDSS and higher IDSS than GaAs
devices thereby increasing the power handling capabilities
of SiC MESFETs

Maximum Frequency
SiC fmax is approximately 10 times greater than GaAs
Device Power Dissipation
SiC MESFET thermal dissipation greatly exceeds that of
GaAs which allows for greater power handling and higher
temperature operation.
operation

27

I-V Comparison b/w JFET and MESFET

Fig. 9 Experimental data showing drain breakdown voltage

(a) increases with V, in Si JFETs but (b) decreases with V, in GaAs MESFETs.
28

HEMT Transistor

29

High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT)

Modulation Doped Field Effect Transistor (MODFET
(MODFET))
A

HEMT is a specific type of MESFET:

o The gate is a Schottky barrier diode.
o The channel is a Quantum well constructed of Heterojunctions.

When two materials having differing bandgaps are brought in

contact, such junction is called Heterojunction
When the materials are brought in contact:
oThere will generally be a discontinuity on one side of the junction
o An offset in energy on the other side of the junction
30

HEMT Strucutre
Channel is formed in the un
un--doped region

Source

Gate
n-AlGaAs Schottky

(Cap Layer)

Drain

n+ GaAs

i-GaAs Channel
i-AlGaAs Buffer
Substrate
Uniformly Doped HEMT Structure

Band Diagram of AlGaAs/GaAs

31

HEMT: High Electron Mobility Transistor

A HEMT is a field effect transistor incorporating a junction

between two materials with different band gaps as the
channel (instead of a doped region, as in case of MOSFETs)

GaAs with AlGaAs, though there is

wide variation, dependent on the
application of the device.

Devices incorporating more Indium

generally show better high-frequency
performance

GaN HEMTs have a greater high power performance

32

History of HEMT Development

Modulation Doped Heterojunction was first observed in
1979,, hence the first HEMT Device was invented in 1980
1979
1980.
In 1988
1988, High frequency (110-150 GHz) HEMT structure was
introduced based on AlGaAs
AlGaAs//GaAs
GaAs..
In 1992
1992,, fT was increased to 340
340GHz
GHz based on InAlAs/InGaAs
HEMTs with larger conduction band discontinuity
discontinuity.
1990
1990--2000
2000, the HEMT devices was not further improved due
to limitation of gate length fabrication below 100
100nm
nm.
After 2000
2000, gate length is reduced further but short channel
effects associated with sub 100 nm gate (an issue)
issue).
In 2004
2004,, the concept of Double Gate HEMT emerged as
promising candidate to increase the cutoff
cutoff--frequency along
with the remedy of short channel effects
effects.
33

HEMT - Band Diagram

if we consider the differing semiconductor work functions between two materials:

We

have a wide band gap

and narrow gap material.

The
band
alignment
(theoretically) will depend on
the work functions of both
materials, and this will
determine the position of the
bands.

34

HEMT--Band Diagram
HEMT
In Hetro-Junction band , there
is a discontinuity in the
conduction band.
More important note is that
the Fermi Level is above the
conduction band edge in a
localized region
Hence,
occurs

2DEG

Phenomena

35

HEMT Layers

Cap Layer
n+ GaAs cap layer is heavily doped used to
make good ohmic source and drain contacts.
Shottky Layer
AlGaAs is wider bandgap material (Eg = 1.8eV)
makes the schottky contact with gate
Delta Doped Layer
Heavily doped thin layer is introduced near the
channel to supply electrons.
Channel
2 DEG formed in undoped narrow bandgap
GaAs layer (Eg = 1.42eV) where the ionized
scattering is absent.
Spacer Layer
Spacer layer reduces columbic interaction
between diffused electrons (in GaAs) and
ionized donors (in AlGaAs).
Buffer Layer
Buffer Layer prevents the channel from being
affected by Substrate effects.

Source

Drain
n+ GaAs
Gate
i-AlGaAs Schottky

(Cap Layer)

i-AlGaAs Spacer

i-GaAs Channel
i-AlGaAs Buffer
Substrate

HEMT Structure

36

HEMT Operation

In conduction, semiconductors need to be doped with impurities to

generate mobile electrons .But this causes electrons to slow down because
they end up colliding with the impurities

HEMT resolves this contradiction using high mobility electrons generated by

heterojunction wide - bandgap ( heavily doped n type) donor-supply layer
and a non - doped narrow - bandgap channel layer

The electrons generated in the n - type thin layer (widerband gap - AlGaAs)
drop completely into the narrow bandgap (GaAs) layer to form a depleted
AlGaAs layer

The heterojunction created by different band gap materials forms a

quantum well in the conduction band on the GaAs side, the electrons can
move quickly without colliding with any impurities because the GaAs layer is
undoped, and from which they cannot escape

The effect of this is to create a very thin layer of highly mobile conducting
electrons with very high concentration, giving the channel very low
resistivity (high electron mobility). This layer is called a two-dimensional
electron gas (2DEG)

37

Design of HEMT in TCAD

Design Parameters
Gate Contact (Schottky)
Barrier height = 4.69eV

Source & Drain Contacts

Ohmic

Delta-Doping (supply
layer)
Nd = 4.5e18 cm-3

Layer structure
InxAl1-xAs/InxGa1-xAs/GaAs

Source
InGaAs

Gate

Drain
InGaAs

i-InAlAs (Schottky Layer)

i-InAlAs (Spacer)
i-InGaAs (Channel)
InAlAs (Buffer Layer)

Substrate

Schematic diagram of HEMT

Simulated diagram showing
Doping Profile
38

TCAD HEMT simulated Results

Electron Concentration
profiles

Drain Current

VDS =Vgs = 0.0 v

Vgs (off) = -0.7v
gm = 0.91 S/mm

Gate Voltage

39

HEMT Applications
Applications are similar to MESFETs - microwave and
millimeter wave communications, imaging, radar, and
radio astronomy
Any application where high gain and low noise at
the high frequencies are required
HEMTs devices are working upto 1THz
HEMT devices are found in many types of equipment
ranging from cell phones and DBS receivers to
electronic warfare systems such as radar and radio
astronomy
40

Basic Current Equations

J e ns E
I D J (width ) e n( x ) E( x ) W

I D Cox VGS VT VCS ( x ) E( x ) W

Cox VGS

VCS ( x )
VT VCS ( x )
W
x
41

Current (Id) in HEMT Device

I D Cox VGS
L

VCS ( x )
VT VCS ( x )
W
x

dx Cox VGS
0

VCS ( L )

VCS ( 0 )

VCS ( x )
VT VCS ( x )
Wdx
x

Cox VGS VT VCS ( x ) VCS ( x ) W

W Cox
VDS
ID
(VGS VT )VDS

L
2

42

Fabricated HEMT Structures

The picture below shows an SEM Micrograph of an InP HEMT fabricated by Prof.
Rommel, Dr. Jae-Hyung Jang, and Prof. Ilesanmi Adesida at the University of Illinois at
Urbana Champaign on Aug. 30,2001.

Mesa/Channel

Gate (T-Gate)
Drain

Source

Gate-recess

Semi-Insulating (SI) InP

43

Comparison of Gate Control in FET

(JFET, MESFET and HEMT)

In MOSFET
MOSFET,, a capacitor is formed by an oxide
layer
In JFET and MESFET
MESFET, form the capacitor by virtue
of a depletion layer in a junction
JFET from a p-n junction and the MESFET from a
Schottky (metal-semiconductor)junction.

In HEMT (heterojunction FET), a layer of highbandgap material is grown epitaxially over the
channel, and it is used as an insulator.
44

Thank you !

45