GAAS-MESFET TECHNOLOGY AND RELIABILITY ASPECTS

This paper reviews recent efforts and developments in microwave GaAs MESFET's both from a technological point of view and reliability evaluation. The state of the art of GaAs devices developed by Telettra for telecommunication applications is described with particular emphasis on reliability evaluation techniques which have to be particularly refined and tailored. Starting from fabrication process of medium-power devices to assembly and packaging in a new type of resonant free package, the paper discusses technological problems and recent developments both for microwave and optoelectronic applications. Significant results derived from a fifteen year experience based on reliability tests, failure analysis and in-field measurements on commercial and in-house fabricated devices, are presented.