Abstract

Compound semiconductor (III-V) devices are crucially important in a range of RF/microwave applications. High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), as the best low noise high frequency compound semiconductor devices, have been utilised in various applications at microwave and mm-wave frequencies such as communications, imaging, sensing and power. However, silicon based manufacturing will always be the heart of the semiconductor industry. III -V devices are conventionally fabricated using gold-based metallisation and lift off processes, which are incompatible with silicon manufacturing processes based on blanket metal or dielectric deposition and subtractive patterning by dry etching techniques. Therefore, the challenge is to develop silicon compatible processes for the realisation of compound semiconductor devices, whilst not compromising the device performance. In this work, silicon compatible processes for HEMT realisation have been developed, and in particular a copper-based T-gate fabricated by silicon compatible process will be presented in this presentation.