This grant funds an Industry/University Cooperative Research Fellowship to allow the principal investigator to work with two industry researchers during the summer. The recent development of sophisticated instrumentation has allowed for the direct characterization of microwave and millimeter-wave devices from on-wafer measurements, eliminating the need for complex test fixtures and the uncertainty that these fixtures introduce into microwave measurements. Wafer-probing stations used in conjunction with standard microwave network analyzers allow for direct determination of device S-parameters without extensive de-embedding procedures, thus achieving accuracies heretofore impossible. Such wafer-probing equipment has steadily increased in operating frequency, attaining state- of-the-art measurement bandwidths of 50 GHz. The current interest in monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) and the inherent benefits associated with this technology -- reduced fabrication costs, increased reliability, decreased circuit size and weight, and control of unwanted parasitic effects -- have provided the incentive for development of advanced measurement techniques. Accurate device models developed from direct on-wafer measurements will allow for the predictable design of monolithic integrated circuits to higher microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. In particular, careful modeling of the GaAs MESFET has received recent attention in the technical literature. As a key active element in the design of monolithic circuits for microwave applications, an accurate MESFET model is essential in advanced MMIC design. FET modeling from on-wafer measurements and verification of the accuracy of these models from independent measurements forms the focus of the proposed work. The principal investigator is qualified to conduct this research and a grant of $9,355 for 6 months is recommended.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
8913491
Program Officer
Alexander J. Schwarzkopf
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1989-07-01
Budget End
1990-06-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
$9,355
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas at Arlington
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Arlington
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
76019