Fully Integrated GaN-on-Si Devices: A CMOS Compatible Solution for the Next Generation RF and Power Electronics

Due to their fast switching speed and high breakdown voltage compared to Si, GaN devices have drawn significant interests from the radio frequency and power electronic industries. Monolithic integration of GaN devices with the Si CMOS on large diameter wafers has been challenging due to the large thermal and lattice mismatch issues. In this talk, fully integrated GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were fabricated on 200mm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates with a manufacturable process. It is shown that electrical characteristics of fully integrated GaN devices are comparable to those obtained from the GaN on blanket silicon substrate. Meanwhile, the current collapse (0.1% duty cycle) of integrated GaN transistors is remarkably lower than the devices on blanket materials. We believe that stress relief provided by substrate patterning can be exploited to allow GaN to integrate on a larger diameter Si wafer, for instance, 200mm or 300mm substrates.