High-speed InGaP/GaAs transistors with a sidewall base contactstructure

We have fabricated InGaP/GaAs double heterojunction bipolar transistors with a sidewall base contact structure. These transistors operate in both emitter-up and emitter-down modes. Symmetric characteristics of the cutoff frequency f_T=68 GHz and the maximum oscillation frequency f_max=31 GHz were obtained at a base-collector bias V_BC of 0 V. For emitter-down operation, f _T was found to reach a maximum of 78 GHz when the base-collector junction was forward biased at 0.9 V. The product of f _T for emitter-down operation and f_T for emitter-up operation was 5.3×10³ GHz², which is about six times that of previously reported SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors