Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Computational Electronics https://doi.org/10.1007/s10825-020-01498-2 Three‑dimensional analytical modeling for small‑geometry AlInSb/ AlSb/InSb double‑gate high‑electron‑mobility transistors (DG‑HEMTs) T. Venish Kumar 1  · N. B. Balamurugan 2 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract A simple physics-based three-dimensional (3-D) analytical model for AlInSb/AlSb/InSb double-gate high-electron-mobility transistors (DG-HEMTs) is presented. The model accurately predicts the short-channel efects (SCEs) in the channel region for various device dimensions, viz. channel length and width, by solving the three-dimensional Poisson equation. The efects of the barrier layer (AlInSb) thickness and the high doping concentration on the threshold voltage are also considered. Ana- lytical expressions for the surface potential and threshold voltage are derived, and the analytical results closely match those obtained from Sentaurus technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations. The drain current and transconductance of the AlInSb/AlSb/InSb double-gate HEMT device are compared with experimental data obtained for a quantum-well feld-efect transistor (QWFET). The proposed AlInSb/AlSb/InSb double-gate HEMT shows excellent properties for use in high-speed and low-power applications. Keywords AlInSb/AlSb/InSb · 3-D Poisson equation · Heterostructure · Analytical model · HEMTs 1 Introduction Metal–oxide–semiconductor feld-efect transistors (MOS- FETs) are the most promising electronics devices, and have been proved to ofer power and operational efciency [1]. However, high-speed low-power electronic device are still required for use in many digital and future communica- tion applications [2]. The high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) is used in both high-speed and microwave appli- cations [3]. In the HEMT, two dissimilar materials form a quantum well, and electrons from donors are confned in the heterojunction by a modulation doping technique [4]. Many semiconductor combinations are available to form hetero- junctions, including AlGaAs/GaAs, AlGaN/GaN, AlGaAs/ InGaAs, and AlInSb/InSb. These materials provide electron confnement at the interface and have received considerable attention for the design of high-electron-mobility transistors [5–8]. A double-gate high-electron-mobility transistors (DG- HEMT) design based on AlInSb/AlSb/InSb is presented herein. The frst transistor based on an InSb quantum well with an AlInSb barrier layer (InSb/AlInSb) was fabricated in 2004, achieving a mobility above 30,000 cm 2  V −1  s −1 with a sheet charge density 1 × 10 12  cm −2 [9, 10]. Such transis- tors based on indium antimonite (InSb) ofer excellent per- formance because of its highest electron saturation veloc- ity (5 × 10 7  cm s −1 ) and mobility for use in high-speed and ultralow-power digital logic circuits [11–14]. For modern communication systems, many attempts to scale HEMT device horizontally and vertically have been made. How- ever, if the thickness of the device and the gate length are continuous scaled down, short-channel efects (SCEs) arise and afect the device per formance. Moreover, continuous shrinking of the gate length results in loss of control over the channel. Double-gate HEMTs ofer good control over the channel due to the placement of a gate on both (top and bot- tom) sides of the conducting channel. Wichmann and Vasllo have compared the performance of single- and double-gate HEMTs with similar structure. The results confrmed that * T. Venish Kumar tvenishkumar@gmail.com N. B. Balamurugan nbbalamurugan@tce.edu 1 Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sethu Institute of Technology, Virudhunagar, India 2 Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Thiagarajar College of Engineering and Technology, Madurai, India