Recent progress in compound semiconductor electron devices

Abstract

Compound semiconductor electronic devices have the capability to provide high-speed operation as they have higher mobility than Si. At present, compound semiconductor devices are popular as parts of consumer electronics such as wireless communication devices or satellite television. Introduction of wide bandgap compound semiconductors has increased the use of compound semiconductor devices in base stations of cellular phone systems and as replacements for vacuum tubes. More recently, the research on InGaAs MOSFET has been directed towards realization of its potential as an alternative for silicon.

This review explains the present commercialization of compound semiconductor devices in consumer electronics, and its state-of-art results such as the 529-GHz dynamic frequency divider using InGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors, the 1-THz amplification provided by the InGaAs high–electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), and the power of 3 Wmm⁻¹ provided by the GaN HEMT at 96 GHz. The InGaAs MOSFET as the next candidate for logic circuit components, is also explained.