Future of GaN RF Technology in Europe
In the last years GaN has remained a key technology in Europe in particular, but not only, for RF Applications. After an intensive period of research and development the scope has shifted towards industrialization and product development. This is especially true for the applications up to around 20GHz where systems are now being built using European GaN-based components. At the same time, an increasing part of the research activity has moved toward higher frequencies beyond 20GHz.
Comparison of the performances of an InAlN/GaN HEMT with a Mo/Au gate or a Ni/Pt/Au gate
Abstract In this paper GaN based HEMT structures characterized by a 6.3 nm InAlN barrier layer and a different gate contact (Mo/Au and Ni/Pt/Au) are described. The effects of a different gate contact structure on DC and pulsed main characteristics are discussed. Despite no meaningful variation is noticed during DC analysis, pulsed evaluation demonstrates that the use of a Mo/Au gate contact leads to an improvement of trapping characteristics. Reliability performances of the devices are finally investigated by means of a OFF state three terminals step stress, proving that the use of a Mo/Au stack does not affect significantly the device stability during the stress.
Negatively charged phospholipids trigger the interaction of a bacterial Tat substrate precursor protein with lipid monolayers.
Folded proteins can be translocated across biological membranes via the Tat machinery. It has been shown in vitro that these Tat substrates can interact with membranes prior to translocation. Here we report a monolayer and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopic (IRRAS) study of the initial states of this membrane interaction, the binding to a lipid monolayer at the air/water interface serving as a model for half of a biological membrane. Using the model Tat substrate HiPIP (high potential iron-sulfur protein) from Allochromatium vinosum, we found that the precursor preferentially interacts with monolayers of negatively charged phospholipids. The signal peptide is essential for the interaction of the precursor protein with the monolayer because the mature HiPIP protein showed no interaction with the lipid monolayer. However, the individual signal peptide interacted differently with the monolayer compared to the complete precursor protein. IRRA spectroscopy indicated that the individual signal peptide forms mainly aggregated β-sheet structures. This β-sheet formation did not occur for the signal peptide when being part of the full length precursor. In this case it adopted an α-helical structure upon membrane insertion. The importance of the signal peptide and the mature domain for the membrane interaction is discussed in terms of current ideas of Tat substrate-membrane interactions.