Mechanism of negative transconductance in heterostructure field-effect transistors

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Abstract
In most heterostructure field-effect transistors the drain current at very large gate voltages drops with an increase of the gate voltage leading to a negative device transconductance. Based on the analysis of the gate and channel current distributions in such devices, it is shown that the negative transconductance at large gate currents is related to the dramatic change in the electric field distribution in the channel and to the saturation of the density of the two-dimensional electron gas in the channel. Under such conditions the electric field increases at the source side of the channel where the gate current primarily flows. When the electric field at the source side exceeds the electric field at the drain side of the channel, the device transconductance becomes negative. This is related to a higher voltage drop near the source side of the channel causing a partial depletion in the channel.