SiGe HBT reliability issues associated with operation in extreme environments

Electronics operating in harsh surroundings falling outside the domain of conventional circuit specifications are called "extreme environment" electronics. Extreme environments include, for instance, very low (cryogenic) temperatures (e.g., 77K = -196degC), very high temperatures (e.g., 200degC), and radiation (e.g., in space). SiGe HBTs are uniquely suited to such extreme environment applications, and in this paper we discuss the reliability issues that are necessarily encountered when using SiGe technology under these conditions