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Electronic Devices and Semiconductor Manufacturing

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Mark Somerville

Reliability

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Degradation Uniformity Of Rf-Power Gaas Phemts Under Electrical Stress, Anita Villanueva, Jesus Del Alamo, Takayuki Hisaka, Kazuo Hayashi, Mark Somerville Jul 2012

Degradation Uniformity Of Rf-Power Gaas Phemts Under Electrical Stress, Anita Villanueva, Jesus Del Alamo, Takayuki Hisaka, Kazuo Hayashi, Mark Somerville

Mark Somerville

We have studied the electrical degradation of RF-power PHEMTs by means of in situ 2-D light-emission measurements. Electroluminescence originates in the recombination of holes that have been generated by impact ionization. The local light intensity, thus, maps the electric-field distribution at the drain side of the device. This allows us to probe the uniformity of electrical degradation due to electric-field-driven mechanisms. We find that electrical degradation proceeds in a highly nonuniform manner across the width of the device. In an initial phase, degradation takes place preferentially toward the center of the gate finger. In advanced stages of degradation, the edges …