Oliver Ambacher

Bio: Oliver Ambacher is an academic researcher from Fraunhofer Society. The author has contributed to research in topics: Amplifier & High-electron-mobility transistor. The author has an hindex of 64, co-authored 848 publications receiving 26256 citations. Previous affiliations of Oliver Ambacher include Osram & Siemens.

Electrical properties of AlxGa1-xN/GaN heterostructures with low Al content

Abstract: Electrical properties of AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructures with an Al content below 15% and carrier concentrations as low as 1.0 × 1012 cm−2 were investigated by Hall effect measurements and capacitance–voltage profiling. The nominally undoped GaN capped structures were grown by low-pressure metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. The threshold voltage of transistor devices follows the trend already found for high Al-containing structures, which are described by a model indicating a surface potential independent of Al content. Photoreflectance spectroscopy confirms the results for as-grown heterostructures. The Hall effect measured on the as-grown samples, however, shows a stronger decrease in carrier concentration than expected from the effect of polarization and constant surface potential. In contrast, Hall effect data determined on samples with Ni Schottky contacts and capacitance-voltage profiling on as-grown samples yield the expected behavior, with surface potentials of 0.86 eV and 0.94 eV, respectively. Th...

Active harmonic source-/load-pull measurements of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs at X-band frequencies

Abstract: Active harmonic loadpull measurements investigation for a 1-mm AlGaN/GaN HEMT power transistor at X-Band frequencies are in this paper reported. The paper highlights the transistor performances in terms of maximum PAE, POUT and Gain achieved at 8.7 GHz together with the application of a systematic source-/load-pull measurement procedure including wafer-mapping capability. The measurements were carried out using an active harmonic loadpull test system with four control loops. In particular, fundamental and second harmonic “loads” as well as second harmonic “source” terminations have been properly varied and optimized. The 1-mm GaN power device delivered very high efficiency of DE=71.2% and PAE=66.1%, together with high POUT and power gain of 35 dBm (3.2 W) and 11.5 dB, respectively.

Submicron-AlGaN/GaN MMICs for space applications

Abstract: This paper reports on two AlGaN/GaN MMIC technologies, performances of MMICs and modules, and reliability for space applications at X-band to W-band frequencies. Quarter-micron gate length HEMTs deliver 5 W/mm output power density at 30 V drain bias with >58% PAE at 10 GHz operating frequency. Dual-stage 8 W output power MMICs for telemetry applications in space have a PAE of more than 50% at 8.5 GHz with a lifetime of 106 h at a channel temperature of 200°C. Space evaluation tests indicate a stability of this technology suitable for space. For scientific missions a high-gain high power amplifier MMIC and module have been developed for 90 GHz operation with up to 16 dB of linear gain and 400 mW of output power.

Reliability of GaN HEMTs with a 100 nm gate length under DC-stress tests

Abstract: The reliability of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with a gate length of 100 nm suitable for applications up to W-band frequencies has been investigated by on- and off-state DC-stress tests. The extrapolated life time measured using the constant current stress test exceeds 105 h at a base plate temperature of 125°C. Very promising reliability results have also been found for the current step-stress tests even at the highest stress level of a DC power density of 12 W/mm. During off-state step-stress test the drain current exceeds the gate current indicating the onset of a buffer leakage current at drain voltages above the operation voltage.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

Principles of Neural Science

Abstract: I have developed "tennis elbow" from lugging this book around the past four weeks, but it is worth the pain, the effort, and the aspirin. It is also worth the (relatively speaking) bargain price. Including appendixes, this book contains 894 pages of text. The entire panorama of the neural sciences is surveyed and examined, and it is comprehensive in its scope, from genomes to social behaviors. The editors explicitly state that the book is designed as "an introductory text for students of biology, behavior, and medicine," but it is hard to imagine any audience, interested in any fragment of neuroscience at any level of sophistication, that would not enjoy this book. The editors have done a masterful job of weaving together the biologic, the behavioral, and the clinical sciences into a single tapestry in which everyone from the molecular biologist to the practicing psychiatrist can find and appreciate his or

Phonons and related crystal properties from density-functional perturbation theory

Abstract: This article reviews the current status of lattice-dynamical calculations in crystals, using density-functional perturbation theory, with emphasis on the plane-wave pseudopotential method. Several specialized topics are treated, including the implementation for metals, the calculation of the response to macroscopic electric fields and their relevance to long-wavelength vibrations in polar materials, the response to strain deformations, and higher-order responses. The success of this methodology is demonstrated with a number of applications existing in the literature.

Band parameters for III–V compound semiconductors and their alloys

Abstract: We present a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of band parameters for the technologically important III–V zinc blende and wurtzite compound semiconductors: GaAs, GaSb, GaP, GaN, AlAs, AlSb, AlP, AlN, InAs, InSb, InP, and InN, along with their ternary and quaternary alloys. Based on a review of the existing literature, complete and consistent parameter sets are given for all materials. Emphasizing the quantities required for band structure calculations, we tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit, and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, effective masses for electrons, heavy, light, and split-off holes, Luttinger parameters, interband momentum matrix elements, and deformation potentials, including temperature and alloy-composition dependences where available. Heterostructure band offsets are also given, on an absolute scale that allows any material to be aligned relative to any other.

Conjugated polymer-based organic solar cells

Abstract: The need to develop inexpensive renewable energy sources stimulates scientific research for efficient, low-cost photovoltaic devices.1 The organic, polymer-based photovoltaic elements have introduced at least the potential of obtaining cheap and easy methods to produce energy from light.2 The possibility of chemically manipulating the material properties of polymers (plastics) combined with a variety of easy and cheap processing techniques has made polymer-based materials present in almost every aspect of modern society.3 Organic semiconductors have several advantages: (a) lowcost synthesis, and (b) easy manufacture of thin film devices by vacuum evaporation/sublimation or solution cast or printing technologies. Furthermore, organic semiconductor thin films may show high absorption coefficients4 exceeding 105 cm-1, which makes them good chromophores for optoelectronic applications. The electronic band gap of organic semiconductors can be engineered by chemical synthesis for simple color changing of light emitting diodes (LEDs).5 Charge carrier mobilities as high as 10 cm2/V‚s6 made them competitive with amorphous silicon.7 This review is organized as follows. In the first part, we will give a general introduction to the materials, production techniques, working principles, critical parameters, and stability of the organic solar cells. In the second part, we will focus on conjugated polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells, mainly on polyphenylenevinylene (PPV) derivatives/(1-(3-methoxycarbonyl) propyl-1-phenyl[6,6]C61) (PCBM) fullerene derivatives and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/PCBM systems. In the third part, we will discuss the alternative approaches such as polymer/polymer solar cells and organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells. In the fourth part, we will suggest possible routes for further improvements and finish with some conclusions. The different papers mentioned in the text have been chosen for didactical purposes and cannot reflect the chronology of the research field nor have a claim of completeness. The further interested reader is referred to the vast amount of quality papers published in this field during the past decade.