On the profile design and optimization of epitaxial Si- and SiGe-base bipolar technology for 77 K applications. II. Circuit performance issues

Author

Cressler, John D. ; Crabbé, Emmanuel F. ; Comfort, James H. ; Stork, Johannes M C ; Sun, Jack Y C

Author_Institution

IBM Thomas J. Watson Res. Center, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA

Volume

40

Issue

3

fYear

1993

fDate

3/1/1993 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

542

Lastpage

556

Abstract

For pt.I see ibid., vol.40, no.3, p.525-41 (1993). The circuit performance issues associated with optimizing epitaxial Si- and SiGe-base bipolar technology for the liquid-nitrogen temperature environment are examined in detail. It is conclusively demonstrated that the notion that silicon-based bipolar circuits perform poorly at low temperatures is untrue. Transistor frequency response is examined both theoretically and experimentally, with particular attention given to the differences between SiGe and Si devices as a function of temperature. ECL and NTL ring oscillator circuits were fabricated for each of the four profiles described in pt.I. The minimum ECL gate delay for a SiGe base is essentially unchanged from its room-temperature value. ASTAP models were used to explore circuit operation under typical wire loading. The results indicate that epitaxial-base bipolar technology offers significant leverage for future cryogenic applications

Keywords

Ge-Si alloys; bipolar integrated circuits; bipolar transistors; doping profiles; elemental semiconductors; emitter-coupled logic; leakage currents; semiconductor epitaxial layers; semiconductor materials; silicon; 77 K; ASTAP models; ECL gate delay; ECL ring oscillators; LNT; NTL ring oscillator circuits; Si base bipolar transistors; Si transistors; SiGe base bipolar transistors; circuit operation; circuit performance issues; cryogenic applications; epitaxial-base bipolar technology; frequency response; nonthreshold logic; optimization; profile design; semiconductors; temperature effect; wire loading; Circuit optimization; Delay; Design optimization; Frequency response; Germanium silicon alloys; Ring oscillators; Semiconductor process modeling; Silicon germanium; Temperature; Wire;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/16.199359

Filename

199359