Analytical modelling of current gain and frequency characteristics under high injection levels in Si/SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors at 77 and 300 K

This paper reports an analytical modelling of current gain and frequency characteristics in Si/SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) at 77 and 300 K. Important transistor parameters, such as current gain, transconductance, cutoff frequency and maximum oscillation frequency are calculated as a function of Ge concentration in the base under different injection levels. The main physical mechanisms for the current and cutoff frequency rolloff at high injection levels are also analyzed. It shows that the high-level injection effect is more pronounced in the SiGe HBTs as a result of the increasing minority carrier concentration in the base and the Ge concentration and distribution will have a decisive influence of device performance. The results may provide a basis for the design of low temperature operation SiGe HBTs.     

Pulsed current stress of Berillium doped AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs

The major concern for reliability of Berillium doped HBTs is the diffusion of the base dopant towards the emitter. This degradation can be enhanced by the device self-heating and/or by REID mechanism. In order to separate the thermal and REID components to the Berillium outdiffusion we performed a pulsed current stress on AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs. In this paper we report on results obtained with different values of the duty cycles for this current.     

Current gain of graded AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolartransistors with and without a base quasi-electric field

Graded AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors with and without a base quasi-electric field are fabricated to investigate the various components of base current. The experimental results demonstrate that the base current for devices with extrinsic base surface passivation is dominated by base-emitter space-charge recombination current, rather than base bulk recombination current. Both a simple theoretical calculation and SEDAN (semiconductor device analysis) simulations are used to support this finding. SEDAN simulations also indicate strong effects of hole barrier lowering which reduces device current gain when the current gain approaches values of 1000 and when the maximum aluminum composition in the AlGaAs emitter is ⩽30%. The experimental finding that space-charge recombination current dominates the base current in passivated graded HBTs agrees well with published theoretical work. This work and other published experimental and theoretical works are compared and discussed     

Monolithic Integration of InP HBTs and Uni-Traveling-Carrier Photodiodes Using Nonselective Regrowth

This paper describes the monolithic integration of InP HBTs and uni-traveling-carrier photodiodes (UTC-PDs) by nonselective regrowth. HBTs are fabricated from nonselectively regrown device layers and UTC-PD subcollector layers, which are grown first on a 3-in InP substrate. This makes it possible to optimize the layer design for the HBTs and UTC-PDs independently and minimize the interconnection between them. The fabricated HBTs have a collector thickness of 200 nm, and they show an f_t of 260 GHz and an f_max of 320 GHz at a collector current density of 2.5 mA/mum². The standard deviations of the f_t and f_max across the wafer are 1.7% and 4.4%, respectively. The length of the interconnection between the HBTs and UTC-PDs can be made as small as 10 mum without any degradation of the regrown-HBT performance. The UTC-PDs fabricated on the same wafer exhibit a 3-dB bandwidth of 100 GHz and an output voltage of 1.0 V. There is no drawback in the performance of either device, as compared with that of discrete devices. We also demonstrate 100-GHz optical-input divide-by-two optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs) consisting of InP HBTs and a UTC-PD using this technique. These results indicate that the nonselective regrowth is promising for application toward over 100-Gb/s OEICs.     

SOI SiGe HBT集电结渡越时间模型研究

根据器件实际工作情况,找出SOI器件与传统器件的不同,建立并研究了SOI SiGe HBT集电结渡越时间模型。结果表明,模型与集电区掺杂浓度、集电结偏置电压、传输电流有关,电流的增加恶化了渡越时间,进一步恶化了器件性能。所建模型与仿真结果一致。SOI SiGe HBT集电结渡越时间模型的建立和扩展为SOI BiCMOS工艺的核心参数,如特征频率的设计,提供了有价值的参考。     

Electrical stress effect on RF power characteristics of SiGe hetero-junction bipolar transistors

In this paper, we investigate the electrical stress effects on both the high-frequency and RF power characteristics of Si/SiGe HBTs. Simultaneously applying a high collector current density and a high collector–base voltage upon the Si/SiGe HBTs, their hot carriers will induce device performance degradation. This stress condition is similar to the DC bias conditions of a current source RF power amplifier, and is termed as a “mixed-mode” stress. We find that not only the maximum oscillation frequency but also the output power performance of Si/SiGe HBTs are suffered by this electrical stress. In addition, the degradations of high-frequency and power characteristics are also worse under a constant base-current measurement than those under a constant collector-current measurement. Finally, we developed a commercial large-signal model to examine the degradations of the parasitic resistances and ideality factors of base and collector currents to explain the RF power and linearity degradations.     

ESD protection design considerations for InGaP/GaAs HBT RF power amplifiers

In order to design a robust electrostatic discharge (ESD) protected RF amplifier in InGaP/GaAs HBTs, a comprehensive assessment of device vulnerability to ESD events in both active transistors and passive components of the HBT technology is presented in this paper. The results include not only the intrinsic HBT's ESD robustness performance, but also its dependence on device layout, ballast resistor, and process. Acknowledging the ESD constraints imposed on InGaP/GaAs HBT technology, a 5.4-6.0-GHz power amplifier (PA) with a compact 2000 V/sub ESD/ (human body model) on-chip ESD protection circuit that has a low loading capacitance of less than 0.1 pF and that does not degrade RF and output power performance is developed for wireless local area network application. A diode triggered Darlington pair is implemented as the ESD protection circuit instead of the traditional diode string. Its operation principle, ESD protection performance, and PA performance are also illustrated in this paper.     

GSMBE生长In_(0.49)Ga_(0.51)P/GaAs HBT微结构材料及器件研究

采用 GSMBE技术 ,在材料表征和分析的基础上 ,通过优化生长条件 ,生长出高性能In0 .4 9Ga0 .51P/ Ga As异质结双极晶体管 (HBT)微结构材料 ,并制备出器件。材料结构中采用了厚度为 6 0 nm、掺杂浓度为 3× 10 19cm-3的掺 Be Ga As基区和 5nm非掺杂隔离层 ,器件流片中采用湿法化学腐蚀制作台面结构。测试结果表明该类器件具有良好的结特性 ,在集电极电流密度 2 80 A/cm2时其共发射极电流增益达 32 0。由此说明非掺杂隔离层的引入有效地抑制了由于基区 Be扩散导致的 pn结与异质结偏位及其所引起的器件性能劣化。     

基于有限元法对发射极指分段结构的多指SiGe HBT的研究

针对传统多指SiGe HBT发射极指中心区域和器件中心区域温度较高导致热不稳定问题,提出了新型发射极指分段结构来抑制功率SiGe HBT中心区域的自热效应,提高器件温度分布均匀性.利用有限元软件ANSYS对器件进行建模和三维热模拟,研究器件温度分布的改善情况.结果表明,与传统不分段结构的器件相比,新型分段结构的多指SiGe HBT的指上的温度分布更加均匀、不同指上的温差和集电结结温明显降低,自热效应得到有效抑制,器件的热稳定性得到增强.     

Microwave performance of a self-aligned GaInP/GaAs heterojunctionbipolar transistor

The microwave performance of a self-aligned GaInP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) is presented. At an operating current density of 2.08×10⁴ A/cm², the measured cutoff frequency is 50 GHz and the maximum oscillation frequency extrapolated from measured unilateral gain and the maximum available gain are 116 and 81 GHz, respectively, all using 20-dB/decade slopes. These results are compared with other reported high-frequency performances of GaInP HBTs. In addition, these results are compared with AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs having a similar device structure     

Analysis of the large-signal characteristics of powerheterojunction bipolar transistors exhibiting self-heating effects

The large-signal microwave characteristics of AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) are modeled using the conventional Gummel-Poon-based bipolar junction transistor (BJT) model and extending it to include self-heating effects. The model is incorporated as a user-defined model in a commercial circuit simulator. The experimental microwave characteristics of HBTs are analyzed using the new model and harmonic balance techniques and the impact of self-heating effects on the device large-signal characteristics is investigated. Use of constant base voltage rather than constant current is more suitable for achieving maximum output power. Self-heating induced by RF drive is reduced under constant base current conditions. Increased thermal capacitance values result in gain enhancement at high power levels     

Junction temperature dependence of high-frequency noise inheterojunction bipolar transistors

The use of the Hawkins model, under isothermal condition, to calculate the bias dependent high frequency noise in Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBTs) is questioned. The inclusion of thermal effects into the noise model of HBTs is necessary as the temperature of the device becomes progressively different from the ambient temperature with increasing bias current. Calculation of noise figure by including the thermal effects explains the experimental measurement whereas the isothermal calculation underestimates the noise figure at high bias current     

Thermal design studies of high-power heterojunction bipolartransistors

A theoretical thermoelectro-feedback model has been developed for the thermal design of high-power GaAlAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). The power-handling capability, thermal instability, junction temperature, and current distributions of HBTs with multiple emitter fingers have been numerically studied. The calculated results indicate that power HBTs on Si substrates (or with Si as the collector) have excellent potential power performance and reliability. The power-handling capability on Si is 3.5 and 2.7 times as large as that on GaAs and InP substrates, respectively. The peak junction temperature and temperature difference on the chip decrease in comparison to the commonly used Si homostructure power transistor with the same geometry and power dissipation. Thereby HBTs are promising for high-speed microwave and millimeter-wave applications. It has been also found that the nonuniform distribution of junction temperature and current can be greatly improved by a ballasting technique that uses unequal-valued emitter resistors     

异质结位置对缓变集电结SiGe HBT性能的影响

研究了npn型SiGe HBT集电结附近的异质结位置对器件性能的影响.采用Taurus-Medici 2D器件模拟软件,在渐变集电结SiGe HBT的杂质分布不变的情况下,模拟了各种异质结位置时的器件直流增益特性和频率特性.同时比较了处于不同集电结偏压下的直流增益和截止频率.分析发现即使没有出现导带势垒,器件的直流和高频特性仍受SiGe层中性基区边界位置的影响.模拟结果对SiGe HBT的设计和分析都具有实际意义.     

异质结位置对缓变集电结SiGe HBT性能的影响

研究了npn型SiGe HBT集电结附近的异质结位置对器件性能的影响.采用Taurus-Medici 2D器件模拟软件,在渐变集电结SiGe HBT的杂质分布不变的情况下,模拟了各种异质结位置时的器件直流增益特性和频率特性.同时比较了处于不同集电结偏压下的直流增益和截止频率.分析发现即使没有出现导带势垒,器件的直流和高频特性仍受SiGe层中性基区边界位置的影响.模拟结果对SiGe HBT的设计和分析都具有实际意义.     

Analytical current-voltage relations for compact SiGe HBT models.I. The “idealized” HBT

Based on the generalized integral charge control relation (GICCR), analytical current-voltage relations for “true” SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) are derived, which are well suited for compact physically based transistor models. For this, the weighted minority charge in the collector, which proved to be of dominating influence at high current densities, is calculated from simple physical expressions. They contain the operating point as well as physical and technological parameters. The model equations, which serve as a basis for a new physically based compact SiGe HBT model called SIGEM, are verified up to high current densities by numerical device simulations. It is shown that not only the static behavior but also the small-signal parameters y₂₁ and y₂₂, which are more sensitive to potential model errors, are well described even far within the high-current region. In this first part of the paper, the work is restricted to HBTs with idealized and simplified doping profile. In the second part [2] it is shown how these equations can also he applied to HBTs with modified, more practical doping profiles and how the model parameters can be extracted     

A self-consistent model for temperature and current distribution in abrupt heterojunction bipolar transistors

The thermal behavior of abrupt heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) has been studied by coupling the thermionic-field-emission injection mechanism at the emitter-base heterojunction with the thermal-electric feedback phenomenon. The exact quantum mechanical injection mechanism rather than the semiclassical WKB approximation is used in the present calculation to self-consistently calculate the thermionic and tunneling components of current. Moreover, the total current and temperature are self-consistently evaluated by testing the convergence on both current and temperature. The calculation shows correctly that the degree of the partitioning between the thermionic and tunneling components are bias- as well as temperature-dependent. It is shown that even a single emitter finger can have a highly nonuniform temperature and current distribution across it, leading to the current collapse phenomenon. At high power levels, this may give rise to a current collapse phenomenon similar to that observed for the multifinger HBTs.     

突变异质结双极晶体管中的复合效应与电流传输

建立了带有不掺杂隔离层的突变异质结双极晶体管（ＨＢＴ）模型，在热场发射－扩散（ＴＦＤ）理论的基础上，又考虑了空间电荷区中的复合效应。对ＡｌＧａＡｓ／ＧａＡｓＨＢＴ特性的分析表明，不掺杂隔离层虽可有效地降低导带边的势垒尖峰，提高发射结的注入效率，但也会增大空间电荷区中的复合电流。因此，在实际器件的设计和制作中，应适当选择不掺杂隔离层的厚度，以获得较好的器件特性。还给出了计算突变异质结界面处电子准费米能级不连续的公式。     

High-frequency heterojunction bipolar transistor device design andtechnology

This paper identifies and reviews those aspects of new materials and device technological advances that have pushed HBT circuits towards a 100 GHz operating frequency. The operating principles of the HBT are initially discussed in relation to their differences from homojunction bipolar transistors. The advantages and disadvantages of the various materials systems available to HBTs, how the particular material properties relate to the device performance and a brief outline of growth technologies are then presented. Those device parameters contributing to the frequency performance figures-of-merit are identified and the resulting design approaches discussed. Current device fabrication technology is then reviewed, with the latest results and the most important design aspects for high-frequency operation identified. This is then followed by examples of achievements in both digital and analogue circuit applications. Finally, an attempt is made to identify those device and materials aspects that are likely to contribute to a further improvement in the frequency performance of HBTs