基于不同器件结构的多指HBT热电稳定性研究

本文基于不同的器件结构同时对多指HBT器件的热稳定性和电稳定性进行了分析和讨论。通过直流测试、热阻计算以及基于S参数的稳定性因子K的计算,评估了两个不同版图结构的HBT器件的热稳定和电稳定特性,实验结果表明高热稳定性的器件具有低电学稳定性。引入一个基于小信号等效电路模型的K稳定因子公式对实验结果进行了合理解释。同时基于该公式,具有热镇流电阻结构的器件稳定性也进行了讨论。     

基区Ge组分分布对SiGe HBT热学特性的影响

建立了SiGe HBT热电反馈模型,对基区Ge组分矩形分布、三角形分布和梯形分布的SiGe HBT的热特性进行研究。结果表明,在Ge总量一定的前提下,Ge组分为三角形和梯形分布结构的SiGe HBT峰值温度较低、温差较小,温度分布的均匀性优于Ge组分矩形分布结构的SiGeHBT,具有更好的热特性。对不同Ge组分分布下器件增益与温度的依赖关系进行研究,发现当基区Ge组分为三角形和梯形分布时,随着温度升高,器件增益始终低于Ge组分矩形分布的器件,且增益变化较小,提高了器件的热学和电学稳定性,扩大了器件的应用范围。     

基区设计对InGaP/GaAs HBT热稳定性的影响

研究了不同基区设计对多发射极指结构功率InGaP/GaAs异质结双极型晶体管热稳定性的影响。以发生电流增益崩塌的临界功率密度为热稳定性判定标准,推导了热电反馈系数Φ、集电极电流理想因子η和热阻Rth与基区掺杂浓度NB、基区厚度dB的理论公式。基于TCAD虚拟实验,观测了不同基区掺杂浓度和不同基区厚度分别对InGaP/GaAs HBT热稳定性的影响。结合理论公式,对仿真实验曲线进行了分析。结果表明,基区设计参数对热稳定性有明显的影响,其影响规律不是单调变化的。通过基区外延层参数的优化设计,可以改进多指HBT器件的热稳定性,从而为多指InGaP/GaAs HBT热稳定性设计提供了一个新的途径。     

Thermal performance of collector-up HBTs for small high-power amplifiers with a novel thermal via structure underneath the HBT fingers

We will describe the thermal performance of a special heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure for mobile communication systems, called a collector-up HBT. We calculated the thermal resistance between the HBT fingers and the bottom surface of a GaAs substrate using a finite element method (FEM). The results suggest that the thermal resistance of collector-up HBTs with thermal via structures can be reduced by 64% compared to the thermal resistance of ordinary emitter-up HBTs. They also show that the thickness of the InGaP emitter layer effects the thermal resistance of, and the temperature distribution in, the collector fingers of collector-up HBTs. Even though the thermal resistance of collector-up HBTs can be much smaller than that of emitter-up HBTs, a thermal interaction between the collector fingers still exists in multi-finger structures. We analyzed the temperature distribution in the collector fingers of a four-finger HBT structure and found that the thickness of the plated heat sink (PHS) was not sufficient to reduce the thermal interaction between the HBT fingers, and that optimization of the HBT location was needed to minimize the thermal interaction. We also found that the thickness of the InGaP emitter layer was the most important parameter for reducing thermal resistance, even in four-finger HBT structures. These calculation results can be used to reduce the temperature of collector-up HBTs and the temperature differences between the HBT fingers in the development of power amplifiers with collector-up HBTs.     

Design study of AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs

The frequency performance of AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) having different layouts, doping profiles, and layer thicknesses was assessed using the BIPOLE computer program. The optimized design of HBTs was studied, and the high current performances of HBTs and polysilicon emitter transistors were compared. It is shown that no current crowding effect occurs at current densities less than 1×10⁵ A/cm² for the HBT with emitter stripe width S_E<3 μm, and the HBT current-handling capability determined by the peak current-gain cutoff frequency is more than twice as large as that of the polysilicon emitter transistor. An optimized maximum oscillation frequency formula has been obtained for a typical process n-p-n AlGaAs/GaAs HBT having base doping of 1×10 ¹⁹ cm^-3     

Multi-finger power SiGe HBTs for thermal stability enhancement over a wide biasing range

Multi-finger power SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with emitter ballasting resistor and non-uniform finger spacing are fabricated, and temperature profiles of them are measured. Experimental results show that both of them could improve the temperature profile compared with an HBT which has uniform finger spacing. For the HBT with emitter ballasting resistor, the ability to lower the peak temperature is weakened as power increases. However, for the HBT with non-uniform finger spacing, the ability to improve temperature profile is kept over a wide biasing range. Therefore, the experimental results directly prove that the technique of non-uniform finger spacing is a better method for enhancing the thermal stability of power HBTs over a wide biasing range.     

Temperature dependence of DC characteristics of NpN InP/GaAsSb/InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors: an analytical study

An analytic study of DC characteristics based on the drift-diffusion approach has been performed for the InP/GaAsSb DHBTs. The current transport of InP/GaAsSb/InP DHBTs has been investigated focusing the device temperature dependence. Our simulation results show that, at room temperature, the DC characteristics of the InP/GaAsSb/InP DHBTs similar to the conventional InP-based HBT using InGaAs as the base layer although a type-II energy band alignment is presented in the InP/GaAsSb HBT. However, due to different mechanisms for the electron injection from the emitter induced by the different conduction band alignments, the InP/GaAsSb HBTs may present a different temperature dependent behavior in term of device current gain as compared to the conventional InP/InGaAs HBTs. Higher current gain could be achieved by the InP/GaAsSb HBTs at elevated temperature.     

Intrinsic stability of an HBT based on a small signal equivalent circuit model

Intrinsic stability of the heterojunction bipolar transistor(HBT) was analyzed and discussed based on a small signal equivalent circuit model.The stability factor of the HBT device was derived based on a compact T-type small signal equivalent circuit model of the HBT.The effect of the mainly small signal model parameters of the HBT on the stability of the HBT was thoroughly examined.The discipline of parameter optimum to improve the intrinsic stability of the HBT was achieved.The theoretic analysis resul...     

基于小信号等效电路模型的HBT本征稳定性研究

本文基于小信号等效电路模型,对异质结双极晶体管的本征稳定性进行了分析和讨论。稳定性因子（即K因子）用于评估器件的高频稳定特性。基于HBT的T型等效电路模型,推导了K因子的理论分析公式,并全面分析了小信号模型中物理参数对器件本征稳定性的影响,得到了提高器件本征稳定性的物理参数优化设计方法。测试计算了多个不同物理参数的HBT样品的稳定性因子K。物理参数对器件稳定性影响的实验结果与理论分析的影响规律一致。     

Design considerations for millimeter-wave power HBTs based on gainperformance analysis

Critical design issues involved in optimizing millimeter-wave power HBTs are described. Gain analysis of common-emitter (CE) and common-base (CB) HBTs is performed using analytical formulas derived based on a practical HBT model. While CB HBT's have superior maximum-gain at very high frequencies, their frequency limit is found to be determined by the carrier transit time delay. Thus, to fully exploit the potential gain in a CB HBT, it is essential to maintain a high f_T even at high collector voltages. The advantage of using CB HBT's in a multifingered device geometry is also discussed. Unlike CE HBTs, CB HBTs are capable of maintaining a high gain even if the device size is scaled up by increasing the number of emitter-fingers. Moreover, it is found that reducing the wire parasitic capacitance allows emitter ballasting resistance to be used without affecting the gain. Fabrication of HBTs based on these design considerations led to excellent power performance in a CB unit-cell HBT at 25-26 GHz, featuring output power of 740 mW and power-added efficiency of 42%     

Ultrahigh power efficiency operation of common-emitter andcommon-base HBT's at 10 GHz

The DC and RF characteristics of microwave power HBTs are described. Ultrahigh power-added efficiency is reported for AlGaAs-GaAs HBTs operating at 10 GHz in common-emitter (CE) and common-base (CB) modes. A record high 67.8% power-added efficiency with 11.6 dB associated gain was achieved with a CE HBT at a CW output power of 0.226 W, corresponding to a power density of 5.6 W/mm. With a CB HBT, 62.3% power-added efficiency with 11.85 dB gain and 0.385 W total CW power was demonstrated. Power saturation characteristics of CE and CB HBTs are compared. The importance of bias schemes is discussed. High-efficiency operation in near class B mode is described and compared with FET operation. An advantage of HBT over FET is the low leakage current during the off half cycle in class B operation. Stability conditions for CE and CB HBTs are discussed     

An analytic expression of fmax for HBTs

An analytic expression of f_max is derived based on a practical HBT circuit model where collector junction capacitance is split up into internal and external parts. It shows that for advanced HBTs, f_max is well characterized by the product of the base resistance and internal collector capacitance. In other words, the external collector capacitance has only a small impact on the determination of f_max. Good agreement between experimental results and numerical circuit simulation confirms the validity of the HBT circuit model. The influence of the external collector capacitance on maximum available gain is also described     

Performance comparison of state-of-the-art heterojunction bipolar devices (HBT) based on AlGaAs/GaAs, Si/SiGe and InGaAs/InP

This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of three state-of-the-art heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs); the AlGaAs/GaAs HBT, the Si/SiGe HBT and the InGaAs/InP HBT. Our aim in this paper is to find the potentials and limitations of these devices and analyze them under common Figure of Merit (FOM) definitions as well as to make a meaningful comparison which is necessary for a technology choice especially in RF-circuit and system level applications such as power amplifier, low noise amplifier circuits and transceiver/receiver systems. Simulation of an HBT device with an HBT model instead of traditional BJT models is also presented for the AlGaAs/GaAs HBT. To the best of our knowledge, this work covers the most extensive FOM analysis for these devices such as I-V behavior, stability, power gain analysis, characteristic frequencies and minimum noise figure. DC and bias point simulations of the devices are performed using Agilent's ADS design tool and a comparison is given for a wide range of FOM specifications. Based on our literature survey and simulation results, we have concluded that GaAs based HBTs are suitable for high-power applications due to their high-breakdown voltages, SiGe based HBTs are promising for low noise applications due to their low noise figures and InP will be the choice if very high-data rates is of primary importance since InP based HBT transistors have superior material properties leading to Terahertz frequency operation.     

Thermal properties and thermal instabilities of InP-basedheterojunction bipolar transistors

We investigate the physical parameters which are critical to the understanding of the thermal phenomena in InP-based heterojunction bipolar transistors. These parameters include thermal resistance, thermal-electric feedback coefficient, current gain, and base-collector leakage current. We examine the thermal instability behavior in multi-finger HBTs, and observe for the first time the collapse of current gain in InP-based HBTs. Based on both measurement and modeling results, we establish the reasons why the collapse is rarely observed in InP HBT's, in a sharp contrast to AlGaAs/GaAs HBT's. We compare the similarities and differences on how InP-based HBT, GaAs-based HBT, and Si-based bipolar transistors react once the thermal instability condition is met. Finally, we describe the issues involved in the design of InP HBTs     

Current gain collapse in microwave multifinger heterojunctionbipolar transistors operated at very high power densities

The rapid development of heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technologies has led to the demonstration of high power single-chip microwave amplifiers. Because HBTs are operated at high power densities, the ultimate limits on the performance of HBTs are imposed by thermal considerations. The authors address a thermal phenomenon observed when a multifinger power HBT is operating at high power densities. This phenomenon, referred to as the collapse (of current gain), occurs when suddenly one finger of the HBT draws most of the collector current, leading to an abrupt decrease of current gain. A quantitative model and the condition separating the normal operation region and the collapse are presented. Critical difference of the collapse in the constant l _b and constant V_be modes of operation is discussed for the common-emitter l-V characteristics. The collapse in the common-base l-V characteristics and its relationship with avalanche breakdown are also described. A solution to eliminate the collapse is experimentally verified     

Performance capabilities of HBT devices and circuits for satellitecommunication

The heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) performance is studied, with emphasis on its possible utilization in satellite power amplifiers. After a review of the requirements of satellite power amplifiers, the suitability of HBTs is discussed in depth, including the output power capabilities, the realizable power-added efficiency and linearity, reliability considerations, and circuit aspects. Models and simulation tools for HBTs in power amplifiers are discussed, and the results obtained so far are given. A comparison of realized HBTs and various FET devices and circuits demonstrates that the HBT is a promising device for applications in satellite power amplifiers. The HBT will be a preferable device for microwave power amplification if the problems concerning the reliability can be solved, and further investigations will be performed to obtain larger devices with higher rated output power     

SiGe HBT低频噪声PSPICE模拟分析

对SiGe HBT低频噪声的各噪声源进行了较全面的分析,据此建立了SPICE噪声等效电路模型,进一步用PSPICE软件对SiGe HBT的低频噪声特性进行了仿真模拟.研究了频率、基极电阻、工作电流和温度等因素对低频噪声的影响.模拟结果表明,相较于Si BJT和GaAs HBT,SiGe HBT具有更好的低频噪声特性;在低频范围内,可通过减小基极电阻、减小工作电流密度或减小发射极面积、降低器件的工作温度等措施来有效改善SiGe HBT的低频噪声特性.所得结果对SiGe HBT的设计和应用有重要意义.     

Improved emitter transit time using AlGaAs-GaInP composite emitterin GaInP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors

A new emitter structure based on composite graded AlGaAs-GaInP approach is described, which allows significant reduction of CBE and improved high-frequency performance. A theoretical study of the composite and conventional emitter HBTs is performed to prove the superiority of composite emitter HBTs using Monte Carlo simulation of their transport properties. The self-aligned HBTs fabricated in this study are grown by CBE with TBA/TBP precursors. The current gain cutoff frequency (f_T) was 62 GHz for the composite emitter design HBT, and 45 GHz for conventional emitter design HBT. The CBE achieved with the composite emitter designs was at least 3 times lower than that of conventional designs and does not show significant variation with collector current. This leads to enhanced f_T characteristics by 15% for composite emitter HBT designs and confirms the theoretical expectations     

Influence of hydrodynamic models on the prediction of submicrometerdevice characteristics

The influence of different hydrodynamic models on the prediction of submicron device characteristics is studied using the General Hydrodynamic Equation solver. We analyze the simulation results of various structures of Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistors (MOSFETs) and silicon germanium (SiGe) Heterostructure Bipolar Transistors (HBTs). When the size of devices is reduced to the submicron regime, the current drive of a SOI-MOSFET is enhanced mainly by the nonlocal effect. However, the current drive of a HBT is reduced by the dominant thermal back-diffusion effect. The sensitivity of predicted device characteristics on various transport parameters is also discussed     

全部耗尽SOI SiGe HBT集电结渡越时间模型研究

研究了与CMOS兼容的SOI SiGe HBT结构。首先,分析了SOI SiGe HBT与传统SiGe HBT在结构上的不同之处。然后,针对新结构的全部耗尽工作模式,建立了考虑电流效应的集电结渡越时间模型。最后,讨论了渡越时间与集电区掺杂浓度、集电结电压、传输电流的关系,并与传统器件的渡越时间进行了比较。该渡越时间模型的建立为SOI SiGe HBT特征频率的设计与优化提供了理论基础。