I-Corps: Optimized mm-Wave Transistors for 5G Applications

I-Corps：针对 5G 应用的优化毫米波晶体管

• 批准号: 2126041
• 负责人: Samir El-Ghazaly
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: University of Arkansas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-03-15 至 2022-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2126041&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Optimized; mm; Wave; Transistors

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a transistor for better heat dissipation capability for high-frequency semiconductor devices. In general, the demand for millimeter (mm)-wave transistors is steadily increasing. In these devices, electromagnetic wave propagation effects and heat dissipation are among the most limiting factors for production. The proposed technologies in this project are applied to the design and fabrication of optimized mm-wave transistors. These transistors demonstrate superior performance compared to currently available technologies. In addition, the devices have a smaller footprint compared to conventional transistors performing the same functionality. The new designs result in more devices per wafer, and each individual device may be capable of producing higher power and operating over a wider bandwidth. Such performance enhancements may allow savings in cost per component. Moreover, the new transistors may have characteristics enabling them to meet more stringent performance specifications. Subsequently, new systems with advanced functionalities may be designed that will open new market areas.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a fabrication technology that is applicable to high-frequency semiconductor devices. The proposed technology describes novel transistor electrode designs to match the phase velocity of the propagating waves on the input and output electrodes. This enables relaxation of the current limitations on the electrode width, which reduces the number of fingers needed to meet the desired device gain, output power, and other performance parameters. The competitive advantage of the proposed technology is to allow fabricating wider transistors, which provides more radio frequency power. The thermal management issues and their associated challenges in mm-wave transistors also are addressed in this project. The proposed technology modifies the substrates enabling them to act as better heat absorbers by enhancing their overall thermal conductance. The novelty in this technology is founded on improvements in thermal properties of the die to extract the heat generated at the surface and/or in the active layer at the junctions, offering enhanced capabilities for heat removal. Results from research on the analysis of the transistor performances demonstrate the promise of this technology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发晶体管，以更好地为高频半导体设备提供散热能力。 通常，对毫米（MM）波晶体管的需求正在稳步增加。 在这些设备中，电磁波传播效果和热量耗散是生产的最限制因素之一。该项目中提出的技术应用于优化的MM波晶体管的设计和制造。 与当前可用的技术相比，这些晶体管表现出卓越的性能。此外，与执行相同功能的常规晶体管相比，设备的占地面积较小。新设计会导致每个晶圆的设备更多，每个设备可能能够产生更高的功率并在更宽的带宽上运行。这样的性能增强可能可以节省每个组件的成本。此外，新晶体管可能具有使它们达到更严格的性能规格的特征。随后，可能会设计具有高级功能的新系统，以开放新的市场领域。此I-Corps项目基于适用于高频半导体设备的制造技术的开发。提出的技术描述了新型的晶体管电极设计，以匹配输入和输出电极上传播波的相位速度。这使电极宽度的当前局限性放松，这减少了满足所需设备增益，输出功率和其他性能参数所需的手指数量。提出的技术的竞争优势是允许制造更广泛的晶体管，从而提供更多的射频功率。该项目还解决了热管理问题及其在MM波晶体管中的相关挑战。提出的技术修改了底物，使它们能够通过增强其整体导热率来充当更好的热吸收器。这项技术的新颖性建立在模具的热性能的改进基础上，以提取在交界处的表面和/或活性层中产生的热量，从而增强了去除热量的功能。对晶体管表演分析的研究结果证明了这项技术的希望。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并且使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，被认为值得通过评估来获得支持。