Investigating Thermal Effects and Mitigation Strategies in Multi-Finger GaN HEMTs

Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors have garnered attention as promising solutions for high-power and high-frequency applications, attributed to their exceptional features such as high electron mobility, high breakdown voltage, and wide bandgap. However, the efficacy of GaN HEMTs is challenged by some restrictive phenomena, notably self-heating and thermal effects. This paper presents experimental results from DC analysis conducted on different GaN HEMT devices featuring various numbers of fingers, alongside an examination of the thermal impact on device performance. The correlation between finger count in multi-finger HEMTs and device performance is explored, followed by a discussion on mitigation strategies aimed at optimizing device design and structures to address these challenges.