The 4H-SiC static induction transistor (SIT) is a very competitive device f
or high frequency and high power applications (3-6 GHz range). The large br
eakdown voltage and the high thermal conductivity of 4H-SiC allow transisto
rs with extremely high current density at high voltages. The SIT transistor
shows better output power capabilities but the unity current-gain frequenc
y is lower compared to a MESFET device. In this work we show, using a very
accurate numerical model, that a compromise between the features given by t
he SIT structure and the ordinary MESFET structure can be obtained using th
e vertical MESFET structure. The device dimension has been selected very ag
gressively to demonstrate the performance of an optimized technology. We al
so present results from drift-diffusion simulations of devices, using trans
port parameters obtained from the Monte Carlo simulation. The simulations i
ndicate that 2H-SiC is superior to both 4H and 6H-SiC for vertical devices.
For lateral devices, 2H-SiC is slightly faster compared to an identical 4H
-SiC device. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.