The behavior of Ti silicidation on Si/SiGe/Si base and its effect on base resistance and fmax in SiGe hetero-junction bipolar transistors

The relation between Ti silicidation and base resistance in SiGe hetero-junction bipolar transistors (HBT) was investigated. The Ti layer deposited on the Si/SiGe/Si base converted to Ti silicide during two-step annealing. The thickness of the Ti silicide, which was identified as the Ti(Si_1-xGe_x) phase of uniform composition, abruptly increased over the annealing temperature of 650/850 °C, and as a result it accomplished a very low extrinsic base resistance. The Ti silicidation affected the base resistance of real devices (R_B), which was extracted from simulating the electrical data of SiGe HBTs such as I –V curves, forward Gummel plots, forward current gain curves, and s-parameter plots. It was shown that the R_B was compatible with the theoretical relation which included the small-signal unity-gain frequency (f_T), the maximum oscillation frequency (f_max) and R_B. f_max varied more sensitively with R_B than f_T, which was due to the inherent property of f_max being inversely proportional to R_B. The f_max of the SiGe HBT reached 47.4 GHz when Ti silicidation was performed at the annealing temperature of 650/850 °C. This silicidation condition is thought to be an appropriate temperature for Ti silicidation applicable to SiGe HBT fabrication. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor issues towards high cryogenic performances

The performances increase at low temperature make the SiGe HBT a masterpiece for cryogenic circuits. The time-progressive enhancement of f_T and f_MAX toward the THz frequency at room and at cryogenic temperatures is presented along with STMicroelectronics and IBM successive HBTs generations. The influence of the Ge content and graduality into the base is discussed, highlighting the keys for best high-frequency cryogenic operation. This is shown with eight different cases and addressed on f_T, f_MAX, the transit time, the minimum noise figure and the equivalent noise resistance.     

基于高电阻率衬底的Si/SiGe HBT

介绍了一种基于电阻率高达1000Ω·cm的硅衬底的锗硅异质结晶体管的研制.首先根据衬底寄生参数模型分析了衬底对器件高频性能的影响,然后设计了器件的材料与横向结构尺寸,该器件采用掩埋金属自对准技术在3μm工艺线上制备而成,测得其典型直流电流增益为120,BVCEO为9.0V,fT为10.2GHz,fmax为5.3GHz,比同结构尺寸的常规N 衬底Si/SiGe HBT的fT和fmax分别高出3.9GHz和1.5GHz.     

Si/SiGe异质结双极晶体管的研制

通过理论分析计算，计算机模拟和工艺实验，对Si/SiGe异质结双极晶体管（HBT）的结构参数进行了精细的优化设计，特别是采用了本征间隔层和新颖的Ge分布曲线，有效地削弱了基区杂质外扩散，基区复合和异质结势垒效应的不利影响。开发了兼容于硅工艺的锗硅HBT工艺，并据此试制出了Si/SiGeHBT，测量结果表明，器件的直流和交流特性均较好，电流放大系数为50，截止频率fT为5.1GHz。     

Optimization of an ultra low-phase noise sapphire--SiGe HBT oscillator using nonlinear CAD

In this paper, the electrical and noise performances of a 0.8 /spl mu/m silicon germanium (SiGe) transistor optimized for the design of low phase-noise circuits are described. A nonlinear model developed for the transistor and its use for the design of a low-phase noise C band sapphire resonator oscillator are also reported. The best measured phase noise (at ambient temperature) is -138 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset from a 4.85 GHz carrier frequency, with a loaded Q/sub L/ factor of 75,000.     

Effect of silicidation on silicon-based thin film resistors in SiGe integrated circuits

The resistance variation of the silicon–germanium (SiGe) thin film resistor caused by the fabrication process of SiGe integrated circuits (ICs) was investigated. The SiGe resistor and the Si resistor were made of the thin films identical with the p-type SiGe base layer and the n-type Si emitter layer of the SiGe hetero-junction bipolar transistor, respectively. The range of the resistance value of the SiGe resistor was much larger than that of the Si resistor, and an abnormally high resistance of the SiGe resistor was often observed. Ti–B precipitates and Ti(Si_1−x Ge _x )₂ protrusions were created as the result of the Ti silicidation of the p-type SiGe layer, whereas no precipitates and protrusions were generated in the case of the n-type Si layer. It was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy that the nonuniform resistance of the SiGe resistor was induced by the removal of the protrusions and underlying field oxides in the contact window. Resistance uniformity of the SiGe resistor was much improved by increasing the contact size. The simulation result of the detrimental influence of the resistance change on ICs indicated that the fabrication process and the structure of the thin film resistor should be optimized for enhancing IC reliability.     

Effects of neutron irradiation on SiGe HBT and Si BJT devices

The change of electrical performance of SiGc HBT and Si BJT is studied after irradiation with 1.3×10¹³ and 1.0×10¹⁴ reactor fast neutrons cm^–2. I _c and decrease, while I _b increases generally with an increasing neutron irradiation fluence for SiGe HBT. For Si BJT, I _c increases at low V _be bias, decreases at high V _be bias; I _b increases; and decreases much more than a SiGe HBT at the same fluence. It is shown that a SiGe HBT has much better anti-radiation performance than a Si BJT. The mechanism of performance changes induced by irradiation is discussed.     

High-quality n-Si/i-p+-i SiGe/n-Si structure grown by ultra high vacuum chemical molecular epitaxy

The n-Si/i-p⁺-i SiGe/n-Si structure was grown by ultra high vacuum chemical molecular epitaxy, and analysed by high resolution X-ray diffraction, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. A high-quality SiGe base layer with an abrupt interface to the Si was obtained. No defects were observed in the n-Si/i-p⁺-i SiGe/n-Si structure. Both the Ge and boron atoms are uniformly distributed in the p⁺-SiGe layer, and the changes of profile of both boron and Ge atoms are abrupt from the n-Si to the SiGe layer. A high-performance microwave power SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) was made from the n-Si/i-p⁺-i SiGe/n-Si structure. Therefore, device-quality n-Si/i-p⁺-i SiGe/n-Si structures can be grown by ultra high vacuum chemical molecular epitaxy.     

A High Gain,Noise Cancelling 3.1-10.6 GHz CMOS LNA for UWB Application

With the rapid development of ultra-wideband communications, the design requirements of CMOS radio frequency integrated circuits have become increasingly high. Ultra-wideband (UWB) low noise amplifiers are a key component of the receiver front end. The paper designs a high power gain (S₂₁) and low noise figure (NF) common gate (CG) CMOS UWB low noise amplifier (LNA) with an operating frequency range between 3.1 GHz and 10.6 GHz. The circuit is designed by TSMC 0.13 μm RF CMOS technology. In order to achieve high gain and flat gain as well as low noise figure, the circuit uses many technologies. To improve the input impedance matching at low frequencies, the circuit uses the proposed T-match input network. To decrease the total dissipation, the circuit employs current reused technique. The circuit uses he noise cancelling technique to decreases the NF. The simulation results show a flat S₂₁>20.81 dB, the reverse isolation (S₁₂) less than -48.929 dB, NF less than 2.617 dB, the minimum noise figure (NF_min)=1.721 dB, the input return loss (S11) and output return loss (S₂₂) are both less than -14.933 dB over the frequency range of 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz. The proposed UWB LNA consumes 1.548 mW without buffer from a 1.2 V power supply.     

Point defect redistribution in Si1−x Ge x alloys

Using high resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements we have studied the effects of germanium content on antimony diffusion in strained Si_1–x Ge _x layers. Samples were molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown Si_1–x Ge _x buried layers incorporating in situ doped antimony delta-layers. These were annealed for a variety of times and temperatures, following which SIMS profiles were taken and from these diffusivities were calculated. The results of a diffusivity versus germanium content study and a diffusivity versus time study are presented; equilibrium antimony diffusion coefficients in alloys of up to 30% germanium are given along with possible transient effects. Changes in antimony diffusivity with composition are attributed to changes in the vacancy population and the vacancy enthalpy of migration. Comparison with the diffusivity of boron versus germanium content in silicon-germanium alloys leads to the proposal that, in silicon-rich alloys, boron diffuses predominantly via the interstitialcy mechanism. The dependence of diffusivity on germanium content for boron is different from that of antimony and it is proposed that the boron diffusion mechanism changes from largely interstitialcy in silicon to vacancy in germanium—the change occurring at around 40% germanium.     

Wave realisation of filters and equalisers in log-domain

Log-domain circuits offer a low-power property, whereas wave-derived circuits inherit a low-sensitivity property from the ladder prototypes and are less prone to transistor non-idealities. A novel approach to the design of wave filters in the log-domain is presented and several wave two-port topologies are investigated. Important design properties are examined. Realisations of direct filters, complex filters and group-delay equalisers in typical BJT and HBT SiGe BiCMOS technologies are assessed. The design procedures have been incorporated into XFTLTER design software.     

Electrical Performance of Electron Irradiated SiGe HBT and Si BJT

The change of electrical performances of 1 MeV electron irradiated silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) and Si bipolar junction transistor (BJT) was studied. After electron irradiation, both the collector current IC and the base current IB changed a little, and the current gain β decreased a little for SiGe HBT. The higher the electron irradiation fluence was, the lower the IC decreased. For conventional Si BJT, IC and IB increased as well as /? decreased much larger than SiGe HBT under the same fluence. The contribution of IB was more important to the degradation of β for both SiGe HBT and Si BJT. It was shown that SiGe HBT had a larger anti-radiation threshold and better anti-radiation performance than Si BJT. The mechanism of electrical performance changes induced by irradiation was preliminarily discussed.     

In0.52Al0.48As/InxGa1‐xAs(X=0.53, 0.6) Lattice‐matched and pseudomorphic HEMTS on INP substrates

Abstract

In_0.52Al_0.48As/In _x Ga_1‐x As(x=0.53 lattice‐matched, and x=0.6 pseudomorphic) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures are grown by a Riber‐32P MBE system on (100) InP:Fe substrates. Devices with the gate‐length of 0.8μm show excellent channel pinch‐off characteristics from the I_ds‐V_ds curves. The saturation current density biased at V_gs =0.5V is 480 mA/mm for HEMTs(x=0.53) and 550 mA/ mm for pseudomorphic‐(PHEMTs, x=0.6). A peak extrinsic DC transconductance (g_m ) increases from 342 mS/mm to 395 mS/mm as the In composition increases from 53% to 60% for In_0.52Al_0–48As/ In _x Ga_1‐x As HEMTs. Microwave characteristics demonstrate that a current gain cutoff frequency (f_T ) also increases from 22 GHz to 25 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency (f_max ) increases from 60 GHz to 83 GHz, at 300K. This demonstrates that with the increase of In content in In _x Ga_1‐x As channels, device performance is dramatically enhanced, which can be used for microwave circuit applications.     

Solid-phase epitaxy of undoped amorphous silicon by in-situ postannealing

The solid phase epitaxy (SPE) of undoped amorphous Si (a-Si) deposited on SiO₂ patterned Si(001) wafers by reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) using a H₂-Si₂H₆ gas system was investigated. The SPE was performed by applying in-situ postannealing directly after deposition process. By transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy, we studied the lateral SPE (L-SPE) length on sidewall and mask for various postannealing times, temperatures and a-Si thicknesses. We observed an increase in L-SPE growth for longer postannealing times, temperatures and larger Si thicknesses on mask. TEM defect studies revealed that by SPE crystallized epi-Si exhibits a higher defect density on the mask than at the inside of the mask window. By introducing SiO₂-cap on the sample with 180 nm Si thickness following postannealing at 570 °C for 5 h, the crystallization of up to 450 nm epi-Si from a-Si is achieved. We demonstrated the possibility to use this technique for SiGe:C heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) base layer stack to crystallize Si-buffer layer to widen the monocrystalline region around the bipolar window and to improve base link resistivity of the HBT.     

A method and apparatus for precision measurements of the absorption coefficient of wide-aperture microwave radiators in free space

A method and apparatus for measuring the absorption coefficient χ _f (the relative radiation coefficient ε _f ) of wide-aperture radiators in free space are described. The requirements on the values of ε _f and the error Δε _f , which ensure the necessary accuracy when calibrating these radiators, are discussed. The results of measurements of ε _f and Δε _f of the radiating element of a cryogenic wide-aperture radiator in the 10–43.2 GHz frequency band are presented.     

Non-selective growth of SiGe heterojunction bipolar trasistor layers at 700 °C with dual control of n- and p-type dopant profiles

This paper describes the growth of the collector, base, and emitter layers of a SiGe HBT in a single epitaxy process. A non-selective SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor growth process at 700 °C has been developed, which combines n-type doping for the Si collector, p-type doping for the SiGe base and n-type doping for the Si emitter cap. Control of the collector doping concentration by varying the growth conditions is shown. The boron tailing edge from the SiGe base into the Si emitter layer was removed by interrupting the growth process with a hydrogen flow after the SiGe base growth but before the Si emitter growth to remove the dopant gas from the chamber. The layer thicknesses are compared using three different analytical techniques–secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and spectroellipsometry. A good agreement was obtained for the three different methods.     

Selective and non-selective growth by GSMBE/ULPCVD for heterojunction bipolar transistors

The challenges for thin film epitaxial techniques for the realisation of HBT device structures are: providing a high contrast between selective epitaxial growth (SEG) and non-selective epitaxial growth (NSEG) on patterned substrates; and fine control of the Ge concentration profile in the base region and the doping levels for all layers. A Gas Source MBE system has been modified for operation either in the conventional GSMBE mode or an Ultra Low Pressure CVD mode, namely the ‘by-pass mode’. This allows use of two growth modes to achieve the specified device structures. In particular, it has been demonstrated that a high As doping level (1.1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³) at a relatively low growth temperature and a rapid conversion to the non-selective mode, can be obtained using the by-pass mode. Non-graded and graded HBT test structures have been grown and characterised by SIMS and X-ray diffraction in order to calibrate the doping levels, the Ge concentration in the base region and the thickness of the layers.     

Silicon germanium programmable circuits for gigahertz applications

Implementation of a silicon germanium (SiGe) field programmable gate array (FPGA) has been described. The reconfigurable basic cell (BC) that evolved from the Xilinx XC6200 has been redesigned to achieve high speed with lower power consumption. The propagation delay of the BC in comparison to the BC implemented in the earlier generation SiGe process has been reduced to 18% of its original value (from 240 to 42 ps) and the power consumption has been comparably reduced. The range of power reduction is from 13% of its original value when the BC is fully turned on down to 2% when the power saving scheme is applied. A 20times20 SiGe FPGA with physical dimensions of 4.5times4.8 mm has been fabricated using the IBM 120 GHz (7HP) process. To deliver a 10 GHz clock, an H tree has been designed and implemented with reduced skew. To demonstrate its performance, a 4:1 multiplexer (MUX) has been mapped for comparison with various CMOS FPGAs. The SiGe FPGA can achieve an 8 Gbps transmission rate, which is a 40 times improvement over the same implementation on a Xilinx Virtex CMOS FPGA. Other comparisons between the SiGe FPGA and commercial FPGAs have also been included. From simulations and measurements, the SiGe FPGAs have been shown to have high performance that can successfully tackle gigahertz applications     

Microwave dielectric properties of LaMgAl11O19

The suitable choice of a substrate material is one of the aims to be fulfilled in high speed microwave technology. LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ oxide ceramic material, which belongs to the magnetoplumbite family, has been reported earlier as a potential candidate for such applications. This material has been prepared by conventional solid-state ceramic route. The structure has been studied by X-ray diffraction and characterized at microwave frequencies. The effect of dopant and glass addition on the microwave dielectric properties of this material has also been investigated. LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ has relatively low dielectric constant (ε_r=14), low dielectric loss or high quality factor (Q_u×f>28,000 GHz at 7 GHz) and small temperature variation of resonant frequency (τ_f=−12 ppm/°C) at room temperature (300 K). These properties make LaMgAl₁₁O₁₉ as a good substrate material and as a dielectric resonator to be used in microwave devices operating at relatively high frequencies.     

High performance infra-red detectors based on Si/SiGe multilayers quantum structure

Recently, single crystalline (Sc) Si/SiGe multi quantum structure has been recognized as a new low-cost thermistor material for IR detection. Higher signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) than existing thermistor materials have converted it to a candidate for infrared (IR) detection in night vision applications. In this study, the effects of Ge content, C doping and the Ni silicidation of the contacts on the performance of SiGe/Si thermistor material have been investigated. Finally, an uncooled thermistor material with TCR of −4.5%/K for 100 μm × 100 μm pixel sizes and low noise constant (K_1/f) value of 4.4 × 10⁻¹⁵ is presented. The outstanding performance of the devices is due to Ni silicide contacts, smooth interfaces, and high quality multi quantum wells (MQWs) containing high Ge content.