Author: Mankoo Lee

Publisher:

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13:

A complete Gallium Arsenide Metal Semiconconductor Field Effect Transistor (GaAs MESFET) model including deep-level trap effects has been developed, which is far more accurate than previous equivalent circuit models, for high-speed applications in linear integrated circuit design. A new self-backgating GaAs MESFET model, which can simulate low frequency anomalies, is presented by including deep-level trap effects which cause transconductance reduction and the output conductance and the saturation drain current to increase with the applied signal frequency. This model has been incorporated into PSPICE and includes a time dependent I-V curve model, a capacitance model, a subthreshold current model, an RC network describing the effective substrate-induced capacitance and resistance, and a switching resistance providing device symmetry. An analytical approach is used to derive capacitances which depend on Vgs and Vds and is one which also includes the channel/substrate junction modulation by the self backgating effect. A subthreshold current model is analytically derived by the mobile charge density from the parabolic potential distribution in the cut-off region. Sparameter errors between previous models and measured data in conventional GaAs MESFET's have been reduced by including a transit time delay in the transconductances, gm and gds, by the second order Bessel polynomial approximation. As a convenient extraction method, a new circuit configuration is also proposed for extracting simulated S-parameters which accurately predict measured data. Also, a large-signal GaAs MESFET model for performing nonlinear microwave circuit simulations is described. As a linear IC design vehicle for demonstrating the utility of the model, a 3-stage GaAs operational amplifier has been designed and also has been fabricated with results of a 35 dB open-loop gain at high frequencies and a 4 GHz gain bandwidth product by a conventional half micron MESFET technology. Using this new model, the low frequency anomalies of the GaAs amplifier such as a gain roll-off, a phase notch, and an output current lag are more accurately predicted than with any other previous model. This new self-backgating GaAs MESFET model, which provides accurate voltage dependent capacitances, frequency dependent output conductance, and transit time delay dependent transconductances, can be used to simulate low frequency effects in GaAs linear integrated circuit design.