Two Approaches to Improvement of InGaAs/InAlAs/InP HEMTs

Researchers are following two approaches in an effort to improve the low-noise performances of InP-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) that could be used as front-end amplifiers in millimeter-wave receivers. These devices are designed to operate while cooled to temperatures ≤ 20 K, where they function with high gain, low leakage, and the lowest noise levels of any transistors operating in the millimeter-wavelength range. However, the low-noise performances of these devices are still slightly below those of nontransistor state-of-the-art devices.