STTR Phase I: Ultra-high Performance InAsN Transistor for RF Power Amplifiers

STTR 第一阶段：用于射频功率放大器的超高性能 InAsN 晶体管

• 批准号: 0638227
• 负责人: Matt Kim
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: QuantTera
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-01-01 至 2008-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0638227&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Ultra; Performance; InAsN

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop ultra-high-performance heterojunction bipolar transistors. An exciting new material, the InAsN semiconductor alloy system, is the key element in the concept for a low-voltage, high-speed GaAs transistor platform that is suitable for high-volume manufacturing. The energy band gap of GaAs based materials drops substantially when small amounts of nitrogen are incorporated into the material. Since nitrogen pushes the lattice constant in the opposite direction from the inclusion of indium in GaAs, InAsN alloys can be grown lattice-matched to GaAs thereby eliminating any problems associated with strain, with very low band gap energies. The project's goal is to demonstrate next generation heterojunction bipolar transistors with performance benchmarks exceeding those of present-day technologies. This program will lead to the commercialization of solid-state power amplifiers combining the advantages and the maturity of GaAs technology with the lower turn-on voltages that can be achieved in InP- and SiGe-based devices. If successful, the proposed InAsN HBT leapfrogs beyond current technologies by being much more power efficient without sacrificing high-speed performance or increasing component cost. GaAs wafers dominate the market for solid state power amplifiers for wireless communication products. In 2003 cellular phone production alone reached 500 million handsets. It is predicted by Strategy Analytics that this output will double to 1 billion handsets in 2008. This enormous market growth will cause severe pressure on power amplifier component revenue. Moreover, with cellular phone handsets becoming ever more functional, strategies are required to significantly lower the device turn-on voltage so as to minimize power consumption and sustain operation over longer periods of time.

这个小型企业技术转移（STTR）一期项目将开发超高性能异质结双极晶体管。一种令人兴奋的新材料，InAsN半导体合金系统，是低压，高速GaAs晶体管平台概念的关键元素，适用于大批量生产。当少量氮元素加入到GaAs基材料中时，材料的能带隙显著下降。由于氮推动晶格常数的方向与砷化镓中铟的方向相反，因此可以生长与砷化镓晶格匹配的InAsN合金，从而消除了与应变相关的任何问题，具有非常低的带隙能量。该项目的目标是展示下一代异质结双极晶体管，其性能基准超过当前技术。该计划将结合GaAs技术的优势和成熟，以及基于InP和sigg的器件可以实现的较低导通电压，从而实现固态功率放大器的商业化。如果成功，拟议中的InAsN HBT将超越现有技术，在不牺牲高速性能或增加组件成本的情况下，实现更高的功率效率。GaAs晶圆在无线通信产品的固态功率放大器市场占据主导地位。2003年，仅手机产量就达到5亿部。据Strategy Analytics预测，2008年手机产量将翻一番，达到10亿部。这种巨大的市场增长将对功率放大器组件的收入造成严重的压力。此外，随着手机的功能越来越多，需要有策略来显著降低设备的开启电压，以最大限度地减少功耗，并在更长的时间内维持运行。