Consideration of the relative frequency performance potential of inverted heterojunction n-p-n transistors

A recent study by Tan and Milnes of the expected frequency performance of GaAs homojunction and "conventional" AlGaAs-GaAs heterojunction transistors is here extended to include inverted configuration collector-up heterojunction transistors. It is shown that use of this configuration yields significant increases in high-frequency performance potential and results in a clear superiority for heterojunction devices over homojunction transistors.     

AlGaN/GaN基HBTs的高频特性模拟

对n-p-n型AlGaN/GaN基HBTs的高频特性进行了模拟计算，分析了发射区、基区、集电区的一些材料参数对n-p-n型AlGaN/GaN基HBTs的高频特性的影响. 发现基区的设计对频率性能影响很大，减小基区厚度、增大空穴浓度和迁移率将有效提高HBTs的频率性能.     

Si/GexSi1-x heterojunction bipolartransistors with the GexSi1-x base formed by Geion implantation in Si

We have fabricated n-p-n, Si/Ge₂Si_1-x heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with the Ge_xSi_1-x base formed by high-dose Ge implantation followed by solid phase epitaxy. The fabrication technology is a standard self-aligned, double polysilicon process scheme for Si with the addition of the high-dose Ge implantation. The transistors are characterized by a 60 mn-wide neutral base with a Ge concentration peak of ≈8 at.% at the base-collector junction. The HBTs show good electrical characteristics and compared to Si homojunction transistors show lower base resistance, larger values of current gain, and a lower emitter-to-collector transit time     

Performance potential of high-frequency heterojunction transistors

Assuming a state-of-the-art microwave planar geometry, the maximum frequency of oscillation has been calculated for GaAs-Ge heterojunction transistors utilizing either doped or high-resistivity space-charge-limited emitters. This is compared with a Ge homojunction transistor of the same geometry. A detailed equivalent circuit is used which accounts for the parasitics of the chip. It is shown that if chip parasitics are neglected, GaA-Ge devices should outperform Ge devices by about 4 to 1 in power gain. In the geometry assumed, however both heterojunction and homojunction transistors are limited by wafer parasitics, particularly base contact resistance. The calculated figures of merit of the two types of devices are therefore quite similar.     

Modeling and characterization for high-speed GaAlAs-GaAs n-p-n heterojunction bipolar transistors

A numerical one-dimensional model is employed to predict dc and switching characteristics for n-p-n type GaAlAs-GaAs transistors, including heteroemitter-homocollector and heteroemitter-heterocollector junction structure, where four kinds of doping profiles are considered. Also, Si and GaAs homojunction transistors are referred to for comparison. Switching performance is discussed for a single unit case, with and without a base resistance, and for a DCTL-type two-stage inverter case, including the delay time dependence on fanout.     

RF power characteristics of SiGe HBTs at cryogenic temperatures

This paper investigates the temperature dependence (from 77 to 300 K) of dc, ac, and power characteristics for n-p-n SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with and without selectively implanted collector (SIC). In SiGe HBTs without SIC, the valance band discontinuity at the base-collector heterojunction induces a parasitic conduction band barrier while biasing at saturation region and high current operation at cryogenic temperatures. This parasitic conduction band barrier significantly reduces the current gain and cutoff frequency. For transistors biased with fixed collector current, the measured output power, power-added efficiency, and linearity at 2.4 GHz decrease significantly with decreasing operation temperatures. The temperature dependence of output power characteristic is analyzed by Kirk effect, current gain, and cutoff frequency at different temperatures. The parasitic conduction band barrier in SiGe HBTs with SIC is negligible, and thus the device achieves better power performance at cryogenic temperatures compared with that in SiGe HBT without SIC.     

Theoretical analysis of heterojunction phototransistors

The optical gain and spectral response of heterojunction phototransistors with wide-gap emitters have been examined theoretically in idealized cases. The optical gain is found to be closely related to the current gain in the common-emitter configuration β of a heterojunction transistor. Because of Kroemer's factor, the injection efficiency of the emitter junction is very high, resulting in a high β or a large optical gain. However, β or the optical gain is limited by the base transport efficiency when the injection efficiency is extremely high. From the analyses, the optical gains and spectral responses of an n.GaAs-p. Ge-n.Ge heterojunction phototransistor and n-p-n homojunction phototransistors of GaAs and of Ge are numerically computed. It becomes evident that the heterojunction phototransistor has a higher optical gain and a wider spectral response (sim5 times 10^{5}at wavelengths ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 µm) than either of the homojunction phototransistors.     

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     

基区重掺杂对SiGe HBT热学性能的影响

相对于同质结晶体管,异质结双极晶体管(HBT)由于异质结的存在,电流增益不再主要由发射区和基区掺杂浓度比来决定,因此可以通过增加基区掺杂浓度来降低基区电阻,提高频率响应,降低噪声系数,但基区掺杂浓度对器件热特性影响的研究却很少。以多指SiGeHBT的热电反馈模型为基础,利用自洽迭代法分析了基区重掺杂对器件集电极电流密度和发射极指温度的影响。通过研究发现,随着基区浓度的增加,SiGe HBT将发生禁带宽度变窄,基区反向注入发射区的空穴电流增大;同时,基区少子俄歇复合增强,这些都将减小集电极电流密度,降低发射极指温度,从而抑制发射极指热电正反馈,提高器件的热稳定性。     

The effects of heavy impurity doping on AlGaAs/GaAs bipolartransistors

The effects of heavy impurity doping on the electrical performance of AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors are examined. Electrical measurements of GaAs diodes and transistors demonstrate that the electron current injected into p⁺-GaAs is unexpectedly large. These results provide evidence for a large effective bandgap shrinkage in p⁺-GaAs. The results are presented in a form suitable for device modeling. For the heavy p-type doping commonly used in the base of an n-p-n AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor, the effective bandgap shrinkage is comparable in magnitude to the bandgap variation designed into the device by its compositional variation. Two examples demonstrate that such effects must be considered when analyzing or designing such devices     

Silicon heterojunction bipolar transistors with amorphous and microcrystalline emitters

The emitter Gummel number of bipolar transistors with an amorphous silicon emitter-base heterojunction is shown to be very large. The temperature dependence of the common-emitter current gain of such heterojunction bipolar transistors is much smaller than that of conventional homojunction transistors. With the actual technology the applicability of amorphous silicon emitters is limited by the emitter series resistance which is too high for VLSI applications. Microcrystalline silicon is a promising emitter material as it combines the high emitter efficiency of amorphous silicon emitters with a much lower resistivity, yielding lower emitter resistances.     

An investigation of low-frequency noise in complementary SiGe HBTs

We present a comprehensive investigation of low-frequency noise behavior in complementary (n-p-n + p-n-p) SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). The low-frequency noise of p-n-p devices is higher than that of n-p-n devices. Noise data from different geometry devices show that n-p-n transistors have an increased size dependence when compared with p-n-p transistors. The 1/f noise of p-n-p SiGe HBTs was found to have an exponential dependence on the (intentionally introduced) interfacial oxide (IFO) thickness at the polysilicon-to-monosilicon interface. Temperature measurements as well as ionizing radiation were used to probe the physics of 1/f noise in n-p-n and p-n-p SiGe HBTs. A weak temperature dependence (nearly a 1/T dependence) of 1/f noise is found in both n-p-n and p-n-p devices with cooling. In most cases, the magnitude of 1/f noise is proportional to I/sub B//sup 2/. The only exception in our study is for noise in the post-radiation n-p-n transistor biased at a low base current, which exhibits a near-linear dependence on I/sub B/. In addition, in proton radiation experiments, the 1/f noise of p-n-p devices was found to have higher radiation tolerance than that of n-p-n devices. A two-step tunneling model and a carrier random-walk model are both used to explain the observed behavior. The first model suggests that 1/f noise may be caused by a trapping-detrapping process occurring at traps located inside IFO, while the second one indicates that noise may be originating from the emitting-recapturing process occurring in states located at the monosilicon-IFO interface.     

Band-gap narrowing and high-frequency characteristics ofSi/GexSi1-x heterojunction bipolar transistorsformed by Ge ion implantation in Si

Si/Ge_xSi_1-x heterojunction n-p-n bipolar transistors (HBT's) with a double-polysilicon self-aligned structure were fabricated by using high dose Ge implantation for the formation of the Si/Ge_xSi_1-x heterostructure and As and BF₂ implantation for emitter and base doping. DC and high frequency electrical characteristics are investigated for Ge concentrations up to 7 at.% and for base widths down to 35 nm. Improvements in electrical characteristics compared to reference Si transistors are demonstrated. Experimental data indicating that these improvements are related to an effective band gap engineering are shown and discussed     

Monolithic integration of complementary HBTs by selective MOVPE

The monolithic integration of n-p-n and p-n-p heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) through the use of selective metal organic vapor phase epitaxial regrowth is discussed. This was accomplished by masking, patterning, and etching a p-n-p HBT wafer and then selectively regrowing an n-p-n structure in the etched areas. The selective epitaxial regrowth did not degrade the current gain of the p-n-p structure. Several complementary amplifier circuits were fabricated and tested successfully, demonstrating the feasibility of a monolithic complementary HBT technology     

A theory of shot noise in quantum wells and applications inresonant tunneling heterojunction bipolar transistors

Some semiclassical arguments are presented to show that the noise associated with the current through a resonant tunnel (RT) diode is reduced by the feedback through the modulation of the barriers by the space charge in the well, and at high frequencies by the reduction in the velocity spread. Theoretical calculations of shot noise are carried out on a double-barrier, one-well structure. The results show that the noise power is a function of the energy bandwidth of the transmitted electrons and that the noise may be significantly reduced by the quantum wells. These results can be applied to heterojunction bipolar transistors that contain a quantum well, and it is shown that these resonant tunneling heterojunction bipolar transistors (RTHBTs) should have a lower noise figure than homojunction transistors     

The influence of defects on device performance of MBE-grown Si homojunction and strained Si1-xGex/Si heterostructures

Different Si homojunction and strained Si_1-xGe_x/Si heterojunction diodes and bipolar transistors have been fabricated by Si-MBE. The effect of annealing on Si homojunction diodes and transistors are studied. It is found that annealing generally improves the Si device performance, such as the ideality factor and breakdown characteristics. The influence of⁶⁰Co γ irradiation on the Si_1-xGe_x/Si diode performances are investigated by studying the temperature dependence of their electrical characteristics, and the results are correlated with the quality of the MBE-films. γ irradiation causes a drop in material conductivity due to the generation of atom-displacement defects in the whole volume of the wafers and increases the defect density at hetero-interfaces. The forward I-V curves of Si_1-xGe_x/Si devices may shift towards lower or higher voltages, depending on the film quality and the irradiation dose. The increase of defect density in strained Si_1-xGe_x/Si films appears to occur easier for the films with lower quality. Electrical measurements and calculations show that the defect-associated tunneling process is important in current transport for these MBE grown Si homojunction and strained Si_1-xGe_x/Si heterojunction devices, which have initially medium film quality or have been treated by irradiation.     

The effect of grading on the electrical behavior of Np AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction diodes

We have studied the effect of compositional grading on the characteristics of N AlGaAs p GaAs heterojunction diodes, and have found that the elimination by grading of the heterojunction spike leads to a factor of 10 difference in the magnitude of current density. The behavior of heterojunction diodes has also been compared to GaAs homojunction diodes. Ideality factors for graded diodes were as good as n = 1.12, while those for the abrupt diodes were n = 1.25−1.30. At low forward-bias voltages the I–V characteristics are dominated by a recombination mechanism which leads to a temperature-independent logarithmic slope with applied bias. We also observe a difference in the built-in voltage between the graded-, abrupt- and homojunction diodes. By comparing the built-in voltage between abrupt heterojunction diodes and homojunction diodes, a value of ΔE_c = 0.64 ΔE_G for the conduction-band-edge discontinuity was obtained in excellent agreement with recent measurements on other device structures. An understanding of the current conduction mechanisms of these pN heterojunction diodes is essential for the understanding of GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors.     

Fabrication of an NpM GaInAs/InP bipolar transistor by a two-step epitaxial process

A two-step liquid-phase-epitaxial process has been used to fabricate widegap-emitter Schottky collector transistors. After the growth of the first two epitaxial layers the sample has been structured and then overgrown in a second run. In that way a pn homojunction in the widegap material (InP) underneath the extrinsic base-emitter region and a pn heterojunction under the collector have been formed. First transistors fabricated show a current gain of 10 in the common-emitter configuration.     

On the estimation of base transit time in AlGaAs/GaAs bipolar transistors

Electron diffusion across quasi-neutral p-type base regions representative of those used in n-p-n AlGaAs/GaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors is investigated. Monte-Carlo simulation results demonstrate that for realistic base widths ≲ 1000 Å) electron transport cannot be described by Fick's Law. As a result, the conventional estimate of base transit time,tau_{B} = Wmin{B}max{2}/2D_{n}, will produce substantial errors for base widths typical of those employed in heterojunction bipolar transistors. Estimates based on the ballistic transport of electrons across the base are shown to significantly underestimate base transit time-even for base widths substantially narrower than those presently employed.     

A study of frequency response in silicon heterojunction bipolartransistors with amorphous silicon emitters

A detailed physical model of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) is incorporated into a two-dimensional device simulator to examine the frequency response limits of silicon heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT's) with a-Si:H emitters. The cutoff frequency is severely limited by the transit time in the emitter space charge region, due to the low electron drift mobility in a-Si:H, to 98 MHz which compares poorly with the 37 GHz obtained for a silicon homojunction bipolar transistor with the same device structure. The effects of the amorphous heteroemitter material parameters (doping, electron drift mobility, defect density and interface state density) on frequency response are then examined to find the requirements for an amorphous heteroemitter material such that the HBT has better frequency response than the equivalent homojunction bipolar transistor, We find that an electron drift mobility of at least 100 cm² V^-1 s^-1 is required in the amorphous heteroemitter and at a heteroemitter drift mobility of 350 cm ² V^-1 s^-1 and heteroemitter doping of 5×10¹⁷ cm^-3, a maximum cutoff frequency of 52 GHz can be expected