Modeling and simulation of III-nitride devices and circuits for next generation communications and quantum computing

Next-generation wireless communication technology targeting significantly faster transformation will soon work in the wavelength ranges above 100 GHz. As an important part of wireless communication systems, the development of radio frequency (RF) devices and circuits, has been progressing rapidly to support the realization of the next-generation network. (1) In the past decade, III-nitride based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have emerged as promising semiconductor devices for high-frequency, high-power applications, outperforming alternative Si and GaAs HEMTs. For predicting the physical behavior of these devices and to support circuit level simulations, a computationally efficient analytic description of the HEMTs behavior is required. The first contribution of this thesis introduces the development of a Landauer-Boltzmann based compact model for ultra-scaled III-nitride HEMTs in which carrier transport is expected to be quasi-ballistic. The compact model can further be used to understand and analyze several reliability issues related to GaN-based HEMTs. (2) Taking advantage of the negative differential mobility (NDM) phenomena, laser-driven photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) built with GaN can theoretically achieve speed (at frequencies approaching 1 THz) and power (a watt or more) much higher than existing photoconductive devices. In the second part of the thesis, GaN-based PCSS modeling and simulation will be discussed. The modeling and simulation framework can provide guidance to experiments, reduce costs of test structures, improve the turnaround and success rate of laboratory tests, and enable the correct interpretation of experimental data. Besides wireless communication, quantum computing has been speculated to be the next major revolution in computational technology. Notably, quantum computers require high performance RF electronics for the reliable control and readout of quantum bits (qubits) in a cryogenic environment. Operating microelectronics under extremely low temperatures is challenging. On the other hand, due to its polarization-induced doping, GaN-based HEMTs can overcome the carrier freeze-out challenges and operate in very low temperature environments. The last piece of this thesis will show how our compact model built from the first principles can further provide insights into the design of cryogenic GaN HEMTs to enable reliable quantum computing.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Li, Kexin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rakheja, Shaloo
• Bayram, Can
• Rosenbaum, Elyse
• Li, Xiuling

• III-nitride
• compact modeling
• HEMT
• quasi-ballistic
• PCSS
• NDM
• cryogenic
• quantum computing

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2022 Kexin Li

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116196

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F116196