Comparison between InP and other semiconductor, materials for the realization of millimeter wave two terminal devices

Abstract

Advances in the performance of millimeter-wave two-terminal devices, namely, Gunn, IMPATT, and resonant tunneling diodes, are reviewed, and results for the different semiconductor materials systems used (Si, GaAs, InP) are compared. Plots of the state-of-the-art power-versus-frequency performance experimentally achieved with Gunn and IMPATT diodes confirm the preeminence of Si IMPATTs as high-power solid-state sources and that of InP as medium-power local oscillators. A stable summarizing the main characteristics of the most interesting resonant tunneling diodes that have been grown so far is given.<>