Advanced Semiconductor Structures for Next Generation Wireless Systems: Interplay Between Materials and Devices

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9633535 Brown In this proposal program, The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), The University of Illinois (UIUC), and TRW will collaborate to significantly advance the growth and fabrication technologies for phosphorous-based microwave and millimeter wave devices. The framework for this effort is provided by the current system drivers for improvements in wireless communication systems. These criteria are reduced process cost, improved efficiency, linearity and output power, minimization of bias voltage and current drain, and reduced noise. Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) is the most widely used growth technique for commercial microwave and millimeter wave devices which require epitaxial films. It is widely recognized that InP-based materials offer significant advantages for these targeted device applications. Significant improvements, however, are currently required to advance these materials to an adequate state of maturity for manufacturing. The ability to utilize phosphorus in a "standard' MBE configuration, i.e. all solid sources, will enable specific performance and process cost improvements. We propose to address this vital need. Concurrent with this goal will be the advancement of MBE as a process technology. We will address both of these issues by performing the materials experiments in conjunction with the development of a physically-based MBE model. The effort at The University of Illinois will be focused towards the development of improved process technologies for InP-based HEMTs. In particular, the improvement in dry etching uniformity and the development of improved device structures and schemes for ohmic contacts will be investigated. The process issues chosen will enable improvements in process cost and in device performance. Materials characterization and device fabrication and measurement will be performed at TRW. TRW has committed a significant effort (- 60% cost sharing) towards this collaborative project. In addition, TRW will provide summer e mployment for students working on this project. ***