A GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) incorporating IVWorks’ proprietary reGaN selective regrowth technology has become the world’s first GaN transistor to achieve a maximum frequency (fmax) exceeding 700 GHz.
This achievement was demonstrated through a 45nm GaN HEMT device developed by Professor Dae-hyun Kim’s research team in the School of Electronics Engineering at Kyungpook National University and was unveiled on June 18 at the VLSI Symposium 2026.
The research team fabricated a GaN transistor with a 45 nm gate length and achieved a record-breaking fmax of 742 GHz, establishing a new benchmark for RF performance in GaN transistor technology. The device also achieved a record average frequency metric (favg) of 497 GHz, the highest value reported to date for any GaN transistor technology.
These results demonstrate that GaN semiconductors possess sufficient performance competitiveness even in the ultra-high-frequency regime and can serve as a viable platform for future sub-terahertz and terahertz electronic systems.
While InP-based transistors have long dominated the sub-terahertz frequency regime due to their exceptional electron transport properties, their relatively low breakdown voltage limits output power and system scalability.
In contrast, GaN semiconductors offer a unique combination of high breakdown electric field, high power density, and excellent thermal robustness, making them attractive candidates for next-generation high-frequency and high-power applications.
However, achieving ultra-high-frequency performance with GaN has remained a significant challenge. To overcome these limitations, the research team employed an advanced 45 nm gate process and optimized device architecture to maximize high-frequency performance.
A key enabler of this achievement was IVWorks’ proprietary reGaN selective regrowth technology.
Developed exclusively by IVWorks, reGaN selectively regrows heavily doped n-type GaN in the source and drain regions, significantly reducing contact resistance. As a co-research partner in this study, IVWorks demonstrated excellent process uniformity across the entire 4-inch wafer and achieved outstanding reproducibility.
Furthermore, the company reduced regrowth interface resistance (Rint) to 0.027 Ω·mm, approaching the theoretical limit achievable at the corresponding carrier concentration.
