DARPA's Nitride Electronic NeXt Generation Technology Program

Abstract

DARPA/MTO has sponsored electronics programs to exploit the unique combination of high intrinsic breakdown voltages, high electron saturation velocities, and large sheet carrier densities of the nitride material system. The NEXT program is pushing III-N-based HEMTs toward its operating frequency (size) scaling limits by simultaneously minimizing carrier transit time, maximizing electron density, reducing access resistances and optimizing parasitic capacitances with innovative epitaxial structures and dielectric heterointerfaces. The Phase I goals of the NEXT program are to demonstrate 300 GHz D-mode and 200 GHz E-mode HEMTs while maintaining the breakdown voltage and transistor cutoff frequency product of more than 5 THz·Volt. The final goal of the NEXT program is to enable a 1000-transistor, high-yield, 500 GHz E/D-mode GaN technology for mixed signal applications.