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

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种晶体管，为高频半导体设备提供更好的散热能力。总的来说，对毫米波晶体管的需求正在稳步增长。在这些设备中，电磁波传播效应和散热是最限制生产的因素之一。本课题所提出的技术已应用于优化的毫米波晶体管的设计和制造。与现有技术相比，这些晶体管表现出卓越的性能。此外，与执行相同功能的传统晶体管相比，该器件具有更小的占地面积。新的设计使得每个晶圆上有更多的器件，并且每个单独的器件可能能够产生更高的功率并在更宽的带宽上工作。这种性能增强可以节省每个组件的成本。此外，新的晶体管可能具有使它们能够满足更严格的性能规格的特性。随后，可能会设计出具有先进功能的新系统，从而开辟新的市场领域。这个I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种适用于高频半导体器件的制造技术。该技术描述了一种新的晶体管电极设计，以匹配输入和输出电极上传播波的相速度。这可以放松对电极宽度的电流限制，从而减少满足所需器件增益，输出功率和其他性能参数所需的手指数量。该技术的竞争优势在于可以制造更宽的晶体管，从而提供更多的射频功率。热管理问题及其相关的挑战，在毫米波晶体管也解决了这个项目。所提出的技术修改了衬底，使它们能够通过增强其整体导热性来充当更好的吸热器。该技术的新颖之处在于改进了模具的热性能，以提取在表面和/或在连接处的活性层中产生的热量，从而增强了散热能力。对晶体管性能分析的研究结果证明了该技术的前景。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.