Reliability of InGaP emitter HBTs at high collector voltage

Author

Yeats, B. ; Bonse, M. ; Chandler, P. ; Culver, M. ; D´Avanzo, D. ; Essilfie, G. ; Hutchinson, C. ; Kuhn, D. ; Low, T. ; Shirley, T.

Author_Institution

Agilent Technol., Santa Rosa, CA, USA

fYear

2002

fDate

20-23 Oct. 2002

Firstpage

73

Lastpage

76

Abstract

We show analytically how bipolar transistor breakdown voltage varies between BVceo and BVcbo, depending on the ratio of total emitter and base resistances (Ree/Rbb). We present lifetest results for InGaP emitter HBTs biased above Vce = BVceo while using Ree/Rbb = 1. We obtained MTTF /spl sim/ 1400 h at T/sub j/,/sub peak/ /spl ap/ 330/spl deg/C for both standard epi and a high breakdown voltage power epi. Failures are characterized by sudden /spl beta/ drift at Vce /spl lsim/ BVceo, while at higher Vce, gradual /spl beta/ drift also becomes important. We believe this is the first published lifetest study of GaAs-based HBTs stressed at high Vce. Our results further demonstrate the excellent reliability that can be achieved with InGaP-emitter HBTs.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; gallium compounds; heterojunction bipolar transistors; indium compounds; life testing; power bipolar transistors; semiconductor device breakdown; semiconductor device reliability; semiconductor device testing; 1400 h; 330 degC; HBTs; InGaP; MTTF; base resistances; collector voltage; emitter resistances; lifetest results; reliability; transistor breakdown voltage; Bipolar transistors; Breakdown voltage; Electric breakdown; FETs; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Internal stresses; Packaging; Testing; Virtual colonoscopy;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Gallium Arsenide Integrated Circuit (GaAs IC) Symposium, 2002. 24th Annual Technical Digest

Conference_Location

Monterey, California, USA

ISSN

1064-7775

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7447-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/GAAS.2002.1049032

Filename

1049032