ABSTRACT
We have recently achieved excellent rf power performance for a GaAs MESFET tagged with a field modulating metal electrode on the insulating film between the gate and drain. In order to verify field modulating capability of the electrode, we investigated a GaAs MESFET with an isolated field modulating plate and found the externally controllable breakdown behavior. Further evidence in the field modulation characteristics of the field plate is presented through the C-V measurements. We proposed a possible model in which the electric field intensity at the gate edge is modified by the coalescence of the gate depletion region with the other depletion region developed by the field modulation plate despite of the strong pinning of the SiO2/GaAs interface.
