Atomic Layer Deposition Technology for Gallium Nitride Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuits

This project targets the development of a commercially viable silicon-nitride (SiN) Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) process for gallium nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) applications. In particular, this project will provide a higher quality substitution for commonly used PEVCD SiN passivation layers. These better passivation layers will enable the development and manufacturing of GaN MMICs with ground-breaking impact on performance, power efficiency, size and cost of many military systems, as well as commercial products. Previously, a large scale survey was used to evaluate multiple possible ALD processes and ALD process conditions. Following the selection of the most promising process, the focus of this project now shifts to process integration, reduced cost and the commercialization of SiN ALD equipment.