Millimeter wave switch chip
Technical Field
The invention relates to the technical field of millimeter wave switching devices, in particular to a millimeter wave switching chip with high switching frequency speed.
Background
Millimeter wave refers to electromagnetic wave with frequency in 30GHz-300GHz, and in millimeter wave frequency band, millimeter wave switch plays roles of turning on and off millimeter wave signal transmission. At present, a millimeter wave frequency band switch is manufactured based on a PIN junction, but a millimeter wave switch chip based on the technology is difficult to use for space transmission. In the millimeter wave frequency band, the GaN HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) has high electron mobility and high speed due to the existence of two-dimensional electron gas, and can effectively work in the millimeter wave frequency band. The GaN-based HEMT structure is hopeful to realize a switch chip for millimeter wave transmission in the transverse direction and transmission in the longitudinal space.
Disclosure of Invention
The technical problem to be solved by the invention is how to provide a millimeter wave switch chip with high switching frequency speed.
In order to solve the technical problems, the invention adopts the following technical scheme: a millimeter wave switch chip, characterized in that: the semiconductor chip comprises a SiC substrate, wherein an AlN buffer layer is formed on the upper surface of the SiC substrate, a first GaN layer is formed on the upper surface of the AlN buffer layer, a back gate groove is formed at the bottom of the chip, the lower surface of part of the first GaN layer is exposed through the back gate groove, and a back gate is formed on the exposed part of the lower surface of the first GaN layer; the source ohmic contact layer is formed on the left side of the upper surface of the first GaN layer, the drain ohmic contact layer is formed on the right side of the upper surface of the first GaN layer, the first AlGaN layer, the second GaN layer and the second AlGaN layer are formed on the upper surface of the first GaN layer between the source ohmic contact layer and the drain ohmic contact layer from bottom to top, the source is formed on the upper surface of the source ohmic contact layer, the drain is formed on the upper surface of the drain ohmic contact layer, and the top gate is formed on the upper surface of the second AlGaN layer.
The further technical proposal is that: the back gate is not in contact with the SiC substrate and the AlN buffer layer.
The further technical proposal is that: the upper surfaces of the source ohmic contact layer, the drain ohmic contact layer and the second AlGaN layer are on the same horizontal plane.
The further technical proposal is that: the area of the source electrode is the same as that of the source electrode ohmic contact layer, the area of the drain electrode ohmic contact layer is the same as that of the drain electrode ohmic contact layer, and the area of the top gate is smaller than that of the second AlGaN layer.
The further technical proposal is that: the thickness of the back gate is smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of the SiC substrate and the AlN buffer layer.
Preferably, the SiC substrate has a thickness of 25 microns to 50 microns.
Preferably, the AlN buffer layer has a thickness of 10nm to 50nm.
Preferably, the first and second GaN layers have a thickness of 10nm to 50nm, and the first and second AlGaN layers have a thickness of 15nm to 100nm, wherein the Al composition is 30%.
Preferably, the source ohmic contact layer and the drain ohmic contact layer are made of Ti, al, ni and/or Au.
Preferably, the top gate and the back gate are schottky contact electrodes, and the manufacturing materials are Ti, pt and/or Au.
The beneficial effects of adopting above-mentioned technical scheme to produce lie in: according to the application, the switch chip is manufactured based on a GaN HEMT device structure, a GaN/AlGaN material structure is adopted, a double HEMT communication structure is adopted to manufacture the switch device, and a top gate and back gate double gate structure is adopted to increase control over two-dimensional electron gas. The millimeter wave switch can realize the switch effect on the millimeter wave transverse structure (the grid length direction) and the switch effect on the millimeter wave in the longitudinal space (perpendicular to the grid length direction). Because of adopting the double HEMT channel structure, the switching action on the high-power millimeter wave signal can be realized. Based on the millimeter wave switch chip provided by the application, the switch insertion loss is smaller than 3dB, the bearable power is larger than 5W, and the millimeter wave switch chip can be used as a space millimeter wave switch and applied to the whole millimeter wave frequency band, and the switch frequency speed is high and can reach 1GHz.
Drawings
The invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings and the detailed description.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a switch chip according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Wherein: 1. a SiC substrate; 2. an AlN buffer layer; 3. a first GaN layer; 4. a back gate; 5. a source ohmic contact layer; 6. a drain ohmic contact layer; 7. a first AlGaN layer; 8. a second GaN layer; 9. a second AlGaN layer; 10. a source electrode; 11. a drain electrode; 12. a top gate.
Detailed Description
The following description of the embodiments of the present invention will be made clearly and fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it is evident that the embodiments described are only some, but not all embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the invention.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, but the present invention may be practiced in other ways other than those described herein, and persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
As shown in fig. 1, the embodiment of the invention discloses a millimeter wave switch chip, which comprises a SiC substrate 1, wherein an AlN buffer layer 2 is formed on the upper surface of the SiC substrate 1, and a first GaN layer 3 is formed on the upper surface of the AlN buffer layer 2; a back gate groove is formed at the bottom of the chip, the lower surface of a part of the first GaN layer 3 is exposed through the back gate groove, a back gate 4 is formed at the exposed part of the lower surface of the first GaN layer 3, the back gate 4 is not contacted with the SiC substrate 1 and the AlN buffer layer 2, and as can be seen from the figure, the thickness of the back gate 4 is smaller than the sum of the thicknesses of the SiC substrate 1 and the AlN buffer layer 2, that is, the back gate 4 is not exposed from the back gate groove; a source ohmic contact layer 5 is formed on the left side of the upper surface of the first GaN layer 3, a drain ohmic contact layer 6 is formed on the right side of the upper surface of the first GaN layer 3, the ohmic base layer is made of a metal material, a first AlGaN layer 7, a second GaN layer 8 and a second AlGaN layer 9 are formed on the upper surface of the first GaN layer 3 between the source ohmic contact layer 5 and the drain ohmic contact layer 6 from bottom to top, a source 10 is formed on the upper surface of the source ohmic contact layer 5, a drain 11 is formed on the upper surface of the drain ohmic contact layer 6, and a top gate 12 is formed on the upper surface of the second AlGaN layer 9.
Further, in the present application, as shown in fig. 1, the upper surfaces of the source ohmic contact layer 5, the drain ohmic contact layer 6 and the second AlGaN layer 9 are on the same horizontal plane, so that the chip has a better morphology. Further, the area of the source electrode 10 is the same as the area of the source ohmic contact layer 5 (the area refers to the area of the upper surface), the area of the drain electrode 11 is the same as the area of the drain ohmic contact layer 6, and the area of the top gate 12 is smaller than the area of the second AlGaN layer 9.
Preferably, the SiC substrate 1 may have a thickness of 25 micrometers to 50 micrometers; the AlN buffer layer 2 may have a thickness of 10nm to 50nm; the first and second GaN layers may have a thickness of 10nm to 50nm, and the first and second AlGaN layers may have a thickness of 15nm to 100nm, wherein the Al composition may be 30%; the source ohmic contact layer 5 and the drain ohmic contact layer 6 may be made of Ti, al, ni and/or Au; the top gate 12 and the back gate 4 are schottky contact electrodes, and the materials used for manufacturing the top gate and the back gate may be Ti, pt and/or Au. It should be noted that, in the present application, the thickness of the SiC substrate 1, the thickness of the AlN buffer layer 2, the thicknesses of the first and second GaN layers, and the thicknesses of the first and second AlGaN layers may also be other values, and the materials for manufacturing the source ohmic contact layer 5 and the drain ohmic contact layer 6 may also be other materials, so long as the requirements of the chip of the present application can be satisfied.
In the application, the chip limits electrons generated between interfaces due to piezoelectric polarization in a two-dimensional space due to the bending effect of energy bands between the AlGaN layer and the GaN layer, so that two-dimensional electron gas is formed, and millimeter waves are absorbed by using the concentration of the two-dimensional electron gas. Due to the adoption of the two-layer two-dimensional electron gas channel, when millimeter waves are transmitted from top to bottom, the concentration of electron gas in the two-dimensional electron gas can be regulated and controlled by adjusting the voltages of the top grid 12 and the back grid 4 through the absorption of the two-layer two-dimensional electron gas. When the concentration of the two-dimensional electron gas is high, the energy of the millimeter wave signal is absorbed by the two-dimensional electron gas, and the millimeter wave switch is in the off state. When the two-dimensional electron gas is exhausted by the top gate 12 and the back gate 4, the millimeter wave signal can pass through the switching device at this time, and only intrinsic absorption occurs, that is, the on state of the millimeter wave switch, at this time, insertion loss of the millimeter wave signal can be generated.
The epitaxial structure of the chip can be obtained by MOCVD or MBE, and the manufacturing process of the source electrode, the drain electrode and the top gate is very mature. According to the back gate in the scheme, the SiC layer and the AlN buffer layer on the back are required to be polished, part of the SiC layer and part of the AlN buffer layer are required to be removed by adopting a gas etching method, and then the back gate is manufactured on the back of the first GaN layer.
In summary, the switch chip is manufactured based on the GaN HEMT device structure, adopts a GaN/AlGaN material structure, adopts a double HEMT communication structure to manufacture the switch device, adopts a top gate and back gate double gate structure, and increases the control of two-dimensional electron gas. The millimeter wave switch can realize the switch effect on the millimeter wave transverse structure (the grid length direction) and the switch effect on the millimeter wave in the longitudinal space (perpendicular to the grid length direction). Because of adopting the double HEMT channel structure, the switching action on the high-power millimeter wave signal can be realized. Based on the millimeter wave switch chip provided by the application, the switch insertion loss is smaller than 3dB, the bearable power is larger than 5W, and the millimeter wave switch chip can be used as a space millimeter wave switch and applied to the whole millimeter wave frequency band, and the switch frequency speed is high and can reach 1GHz.