Modeling Intermodulation Distortion in

HEMT and LDMOS Devices Using a New

Empirical Non-Linear Compact Model
Toufik Sadi and Frank Schwierz

Department of Solid-State Electronics,
Technische Universitt Ilmenau,
D-98684 Ilmenau, Germany

Toufik.Sadi@tu-ilmenau.de
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Objectives
Motivation
Non-linearities in semiconductor devices
Non-linear FET models
Compact modeling of III-V HEMTs and LDMOSFETs
Motivation
New in-house model
Validation
Summary
Outline
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Framework: Within the COMON (COmpact MOdelling
Network) project funded by the European Union

Aim: Development of improved universal HEMT models

Objectives:
Efficient current-voltage, charge and noise models
GaAs, GaN HEMTs and other high-power devices

Focus: Non-Linearities in HEMTs
Intermodulation distortion (IMD)

Included Effects:
Self-heating; frequency dispersion; etc..
Compact Modeling of III-V HEMTs
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Current-Voltage (I-V) Model
Accurate modeling of I-V characteristics and derivatives
Inclusion of electrothermal & frequency dispersion effects
Applicable to GaAs and GaN HEMTs, and to Si LDMOS FETs
Effective parameter extraction and fitting routines
Modeling of IMD figures of merit using Volterra series analysis

Charge (C-V) Model
Correct modeling of C-V characteristics is sufficient
Using simple/existing models
Non-linear HEMT Models
Design of modern microwave circuits and systems
Minimization of Intermodulation Distortion
Motivation
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Non-Linearities in Electron Devices
Non-linear I-V characteristics
Distortion of the output signal shape
New frequency components appear
2
nd
order: 2xf
3
rd
order: 2xf, 3xf
n
th
order: 2xf, 3xf,,nxf
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
D
r
a
i
n

c
u
r
r
e
n
t

(
a
.
u
.
)
Time
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40


O
u
t
p
u
t

(
a
.
u
.
)
Time
Output Signal
Linear output Non-linear output
Almost everything in semiconductor electronics is nonlinear !!!
cos( )
GS P
V V t e =
1
( )
d GS
I t K V =
2
1 2
3 4 5
3 4 5
( )

d GS GS
GS GS GS
I t K V K V
K V K V K V
= + +
+ +
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Intermodulation in HEMTs
Two-tone Input
Input with two frequency components f
1
and f
2
Signal (Intermodulation ) components at new
frequencies are generated
( ) ( ) ( )
1 2 1 1 2 2
cos cos
in
V t V t V t A t A t e e = + = +
Example: 3
rd
order transfer characteristics
( )
1 2 1 2
1 2 1 2
2
1 2
1 2
1 2
th
st
nd
1
rd
0 :
1 :
2 :

( ), ( )
(2 ), (2 ),

3 :
,
2 , 2 ,
(2 ), (
3 , 3 ,
2
out
f f
DC
f f
f f
f f
V
f f
f f f f
f
t
f
+

+
2 1
)

f f
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Compact Models for III-V FETs
Physics-based
Analysis of effect of physical parameters (gate length, mobility, etc)
No parameter optimization
Rigorous mathematical formula
Technology-dependent
Discontinuous (using of conditional functions)
Table-based Storing parameters at several biases in a table
No parameter optimization
Technology-dependent
Discontinuities in the model elements or their derivatives
Empirical
Simple
Flexible
Continuous
Technology-independent
Good model formulation
Parameter optimization
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Non-Linear Empirical III-V FET Models
Curtice Model (1980) Quadratic/cubic dependence of I
D
on V
GS
First empirical time-domain simulation model
Tajima Model (1981) Exponential dependence of I
D
on V
DS
and V
GS
First empirical frequency-domain simulation model
Materka Model (1985) Quadratic/hyperbolic dependence of I
D
on V
GS
Including drain-bias dependent pinch-off potential
Statz Model (1987) Hyperbolic/cubic dependence of I
D
on V
GS
/V
DS

Temperature scalability
TOM Model(s) (1990) Exponential/cubic dependence of I
D
on V
GS
/V
DS

Spatial/temperature scalability
ADS EEFET/EEHEMT Model(s) (1993) Rigorous formula
Charge-based C-V model
Chalmers Model (1992) Hyperbolic dependence of I
D
on V
GS
/V
DS

First to provide a good fit for transconductance and derivatives
Auriga Model (2004) Enhanced version of the Chalmers model
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Chalmers Model for HEMTs Advantages
Infinitely differentiable hyperbolic functions

Inherent reconstruction of the bell-shape of
G
m
(V
GS
) for GaAs HEMTs

Reliable modeling of the higher order
derivatives of G
m
(V
GS
) curves

Continuity no conditional functions

Possibility of readily including several
effects, such as temperature effects,
frequency dispersion, and soft-breakdown

Simple procedure for parameter extraction
Suitability for intermodulation distortion studies Angelov et al, IEEE Trans. MTT,
vol. 40, p. 2258, 1992
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Chalmers Model for HEMTs Limitations
max 1 max
1
Drain current at (at ) /
(
[1 tanh{ ( )}] tanh( )(

1
) ( )
)
PK PK GS PK
n
i
GS n GS PK
D PK GS DS DS
i
gm gm I I V V P
V P V
I I V V V
V
o
=
= ~
=
+ +
+
+

Limited suitability to model high-power devices and new structures such as

GaN HEMTs and LDMOSFETs (Fager et al., IEEE MTT, p. 2834, 2002; Cabral et al., MTTS 2004)
Saturation current (I
SAT
) is limited to 2 I
PK

Improved model to provide much more
independent control of the shape of the
current and transconductance curves while
maintaining the principal advantages of the
Chalmers model
Angelov et al,
IEEE Trans. MTT,
vol. 40, p. 2258,
1992
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
New Current-Voltage Model (1)
( )
( )
( ) (1 tanh
ln(1 exp{ ( ) / })
ln(1 exp{
{ ( ) }) 0
( ) ( tanh{ ( ) }
( / )
0
) }
)
[ ( ) ( ) ] tanh( )(1 )
GS PK
GS P
GS GS
GS G
K
S
GS PK GS
GS PK GS SAT
GS GS DS DS
f V V
f V V
V V
V V
F V I f V
EC g EC
EC g EC
F V I I f V
I F V F V V V o

+
+
+ + +

+
+
=
= +
=
+ <
= >
+

= + +
f(VGS) f(VDS)
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
New Current-Voltage Model (2)
1 2 1 2
1 2 1 2
2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2
1
1


( )
( )
( ) (
( ) (
{
{ .
( )
( )
) }
) }
PK
SAT PK
TN TN TN TN
TN TN TN TN
GS n GS
GS n GS
GSN GS P
GS
GS
K
n
i
i
n
i
GSP
GSN GSN
G S
i
SP G P
I
I I
h V V V
h V V V
V
g V P h V
g V P h
V
V
V V
V V V V
V V V V

+

+ + + + +

=
+
=

=
=
=
=
=
+ + +
= + + +

MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7

th
& 8
th
April 2011
New Current-Voltage Model (3)
EC: more flexibility for
I-V curves & derivatives

I
SAT
: I
MAX
= 2 I
PK
VTN: fine-tuning
parameters

Fager et al., IEEE MTT, p. 2834, 2002
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
I-V Model Advantages
Continuous closed-form expression
Accurate modeling of I-V characteristics and derivatives










Simple parameter extraction & fitting procedure
Applicable to GaAs, GaN HEMTs; LDMOS FETs;
LDMOS FET (Fager et al., IEEE MTT, p. 2834, 2002) GaN HEMT (Cabral et al., MTTS 2004)
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
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& 8
th
April 2011
I-V Curves
0.25m gate-length GaAs pHEMT [1]
[1] K. Koh et al, in Proc. IEEE IMS, p. 467, 2003 [3] C. Fager et al, IEEE Trans. MTT, vol. 50, p. 2834, 2002
[2] J.-W. Lee et al, IEEE Trans. MTT, vol. 52, p. 2, 2004
V
GS
: -1.2V to -0.4V Step = 0.1V
0.35m gate length GaN HEMT [2]
V
GS
: -4V to 0V Step = 1V
LDMOS FET from [3]
V
GS
: 3 and 5V
Pulsed (300K)
Static DC
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Volterra Series Analysis
Two-tone excitation input | |
1 2
cos( ) cos( ) Vin Vs t t e e = +
Results are from the GaAs pHEMT *
*K. Koh et al, in Proc. IEEE IMS, p. 467, 2003
P
in
= -20dBm, R
L
= R
S
= 50 Ohm
Plin, PIM2, PIM3: linear, 2
nd
and 3
rd
order power
IP2, IP3: 2
nd
and 3
rd
order interception points
Modeling the contribution of the current source to non-linearities
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011
Accomplished Work (5)
IMD analysis in high-power GaN HEMTs and LDMOSFETs
GaN HEMT (Cabral et al., MTTS 2004)
LDMOS FET (Fager et al., IEEE MTT, p. 2834, 2002)
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
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& 8
th
April 2011
Conclusions
New flexible empirical non-linear model
Minimized parameter fitting
Accurate calculation of higher-order derivatives
Suitable for intermodulation distortion modeling
Applicable to a wide range of devices
Acknowledgments
This work is funded by the European Union, in the
framework of the COMON project.
MOS-AK/GSA Workshop Paris - 7
th
& 8
th
April 2011