2023-09-18

Name: Navya Sri Garigapati    
Date of dissertation: 27-09-2023
Title of thesis: Radio Frequency InGaAs MOSFETs

Link to thesis:

https://portal.research.lu.se/en/publications/radio-frequency-ingaas-mosfets

Describe your research in a popular science way

Transistors are the key component of today's modern wireless world; for example, their superior performance enables users to stream their favorite movies anytime and everywhere. 6G cellular networks will be introduced at the earliest by the end of this decade, and to meet these high data rates, transistors' operating frequency should be increased to a few 100's of GHz. Achieving these challenging targets with the current industry standard Si transistor technology is difficult, and the need to search for new device material and transistor design is rising. In my Ph.D., a particular transistor type, i.e., field effect transistors (FETs) made of high-electron mobility channel material, are designed and fabricated, and their high-frequency performance limits are studied.

What made you want to pursue a PhD?

Curiosity and desire to advance knowledge and expertise in the field of Nanoelectronics, especially transistor design and technology, were the reasons to become a Doctoral student.

What is the most fascinating or interesting with your thesis subject?

Radio frequency InGaAs MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors) are fascinating to study because of their excellent device physics and design and fabrication challenges. If these transistors perform as they should, they will easily outperform Si RF CMOS.

Do you believe some results from your research will be applied in practice eventually? And if so, how / how?

Attempts to integrate III-V transistor technology with Si CMOS have been ongoing, allowing the industry to leverage the advantages of two different device technologies. The presented transistor designs are promising candidates to replace the Si RF CMOS front-end receiver due to their low noise and better high-frequency performance.

What are your plans?

I will work as an industrial postdoc at Hexagem, here in Lund. My research is focused on GaN FinFETs for high-power and high-frequency applications. The experience and knowledge I gained during my Ph.D. would greatly benefit the next step of my research career.