Models for the self-heating evaluation of a gallium nitride-based high electron mobility transistor

Abstract We propose a novel model approach for temperature evaluation in the channel region of a InAlN/AlN/gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) due to self-heating effects. The heat transfer in a HEMT device has been investigated experimentally by the nearby temperature sensor and compared by theoretical models solved by both numerical and analytical methods. The average temperature of the channel area of almost 160 °C for dissipated power of 2 W was determined using the drain-source current variation analysis. The electrical and thermal behavioral numerical model under quasi-static conditions have been used to describe the HEMT device. In contrast, the one-dimensional thermal model for analytical evaluation has been proposed as an alternative approach. Surprisingly, the experimental results verified not only the validity of precise numerical simulation but also the simplified analytical model that makes it a reliable tool even for complex electronic devices.