High-frequency, 6.2 Å pN heterojunction diodes

Sb-based pN heterojunction diodes at 6.2 Å, consisting of narrow bandgap p-type In0.27Ga0.73Sb and wide bandgap n-type In0.69Al0.41As0.41Sb0.59, have been fabricated and measured. These diodes show excellent electrical characteristics with an ideality factor of 1.2 and high current density. S-parameter measurements and subsequent analysis show that these diodes have RC-cutoff frequencies over 1 THz, making these diodes excellent choices for high-frequency applications, such as sub-harmonic mixers for frequency conversion.

► 6.2 Å Sb-based pN heterojunction diodes. ► Diodes for high-speed, low-power applications. ► Diodes showed excellent electrical performance: η≈1.2η≈1.2, strong rectifying, area-dependent behavior. ► RC-cutoff frequencies over 1 THz measured for smaller area devices (⩽15 μm2).