A High-Performance 0.13-µm AlGaAs/InGaAs pHEMT Process Using Sidewall Spacer Technology

A robust and manufacturable high-performance 0.13 µm gate length AlGaAs/InGaAs pseudomorphic High-Electron Mobility Transistor (pHEMT) process on 150 mm substrates is presented. This process, named TQP13, is unique in that the 0.13 µm gate lengths are achieved using cost effective I-line photolithography in conjunction with sidewall spacer technology. The process features a depletion-mode transistor with a nominal pinch-off voltage of –300 mV, on-resistance of 0.8 ohm-mm, extrinisic transconductance of 750 mS/mm, gate-to-drain breakdown voltage of 9 V, unity current gain cut-off frequency of 110 GHz (peak), maximum frequency of oscillation of>200 GHz, Idss of 90 mA/mm, and Imax (Vgs=+0.7 V) of 500 mA/mm. Passive components include 0.34 fF/µm2 MIM capacitors, 105 ohm/square epitaxial resistors, precision 50 ohm/square NiCr resistors, and low-loss inductors using three levels of metallizations, two local and one airbridge. A wide variety of applications can be realized over a broad frequency range including low-noise amplifiers for consumer Direct Broadcast Satellite dish systems (Ku-band) and medium power amplifiers for automotive radar (W-band), for example