A review of InP/InAlAs/InGaAs based transistors for high frequency applications

•High-κ dielectrics properties and deposition techniques-MBE, CVD, ALD, MOCVD.•Doping issues in III–V semiconductors-band gap narrowing.•Developments in InP based MOSFETS.•Overview of InP based SHBTS and DHBTS.•Developments in InP HEMTS.

This paper presents an overview of the rapid progress being made in the development of InP based devices for high speed applications. Over the past few decades, major aero space industries have been developing InP based hetero structure devices like hetero junction bipolar transistors (HBTs) and high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) because of their low DC power due to excellent low voltage operation and milli-meter wave frequency performance even though its widespread use has been limited by high cost. InP based HBTs, MOSFETs and HEMTs have also been developed by commercial companies for applications in high speed fiber optic communications because InP based device technologies takes advantage of the intrinsic material properties such as high thermal conductivity, high electron mobility and low energy band gap for low voltage operation compared to silicon, silicon–germenium, and GaAs based semiconductor devices.