High-power and broadband microwave detection with a quasi-vertical GaN Schottky barrier diode by novel post-mesa nitridation

We report a high-performance GaN Schottky barrier diode (SBD) on a sapphire substrate with a novel post-mesa nitridation technique and its application in a high-power microwave detection circuit. The fabricated SBD achieved a very high forward current density of 9.19 kA cm-2 at 3 V, a low specific on-resistance (RON,sp) of 0.22 mO cm2 and breakdown voltage of 106 V. An extremely high output current of 400 mA was obtained when the detected power reached 38.4 dBm@3 GHz in pulsed-wave mode with a small anode diameter of 70 μm. Meanwhile, broadband detection at frequencies ranging from 1 to 6 GHz was achieved at 33 dBm in continuous-wave mode.