On the Frequency Limits of SiGe HBTs for TeraHertz Applications

Author

Yuan, Jiahui ; Krithivasan, Ram ; Cressler, John D. ; Khater, Marwan H. ; Ahlgren, David C. ; Joseph, Alvin J.

Author_Institution

Georgia Inst. of Technol., Atlanta

fYear

2007

fDate

Sept. 30 2007-Oct. 2 2007

Firstpage

22

Lastpage

25

Abstract

We report record f_max for a silicon-based transistor, and the first combined set of f₁+ f_max above one-terahertz for silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs). Peak f_max of 618 GHz and f_rfloor of 463 GHz at 4.5 K (chuck temperature) were measured for a scaled 0.12 times 2.5 mum-SiGe HBT (343 / 309 GHz at 300 K), at a breakdown voltage BV_CEO of 1.62 V (1.70 at 300 K), yielding a record f_T x BV_CEO product of 750 GHz-V (510 GHz-V at 300 K). An examination of base transport in these devices at low temperatures suggests non-equilibrium effects are operative.

Keywords

Ge-Si alloys; heterojunction bipolar transistors; semiconductor materials; submillimetre wave transistors; HBT; SiGe; base transport examination; breakdown voltage; chuck temperature; frequency 309 GHz; frequency 343 GHz; frequency 463 GHz; frequency 750 GHz; frequency limits; silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors; temperature 300 K; temperature 4.5 K; terahertz applications; voltage 1.62 V; Frequency; Germanium silicon alloys; HEMTs; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; III-V semiconductor materials; Indium phosphide; MODFETs; Silicon germanium; Temperature; USA Councils;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting, 2007. BCTM '07. IEEE

Conference_Location

Boston, MA

ISSN

1088-9299

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-1019-4

Electronic_ISBN

1088-9299

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/BIPOL.2007.4351830

Filename

4351830