Cree, Inc.
FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR WITH ENHANCED RELIABILITY

Abstract:

A transistor device includes a semiconductor epitaxial layer structure including a channel layer and a barrier layer on the channel layer, a source contact and a drain contact on the barrier layer, an insulating layer on the semiconductor layer between the source contact and the drain contact, and a gate contact on the insulating layer. The gate contact includes a central portion that extends through the insulating layer and contacts the barrier layer and a drain side wing that extends laterally from the central portion of the gate toward the drain contact by a distance .GAMMA..sub.D. The drain side wing of the gate contact is spaced apart from the barrier layer by a distance d1 that is equal to a thickness of the insulating layer. The distance .GAMMA..sub.D is less than about 0.3 .mu.m, and the distance d1 is less than about 80 nm.