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

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目将开发超高性能异质结双极晶体管。InAsN半导体合金系统是一种令人兴奋的新材料，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。当少量的氮被引入到材料中时，GaAs基材料的能带隙显著下降。由于氮在与GaAs中包含铟相反的方向上推动晶格常数，因此InAsN合金可以与GaAs晶格匹配地生长，从而消除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，其性能基准超过当今技术。该计划将导致固态功率放大器的商业化，将GaAs技术的优势和成熟度与InP和SiGe基器件中可以实现的较低导通电压相结合。如果成功的话，所提出的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。砷化镓晶片主导着无线通信产品固态功率放大器的市场。2003年，仅移动电话的产量就达到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收入造成严重压力。此外，随着蜂窝式电话手持机变得越来越多功能，需要策略来显著降低装置接通电压，以便最小化功率消耗且在较长时间周期上维持操作。

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.