Tunnel collector GaInP/GaAs HBTs for microwave power amplifiers

Author

Welty, R.J. ; Mochizuki, K. ; Lutz, C.R. ; Asbeck, P.M.

Author_Institution

California Univ., San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

fYear

2001

fDate

6/23/1905 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

74

Lastpage

77

Abstract

A novel device structure using GaInP in a thin layer at the base-collector (BC) junction of a GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) is described. The proposed device, the tunnel-collector HBT (TC-HBT) benefits from lower knee voltage and saturation charge storage than a single HBT, yet has higher f_T and higher current density than double HBTs. TC-HBTs have been fabricated with a 10 nm wide bandgap tunnel layer between the base and collector. These devices have a low offset and knee voltage of V_CE, _sat = 30 mV and V_K ~ 0.3 V together with a high DC current gain of 170. For RF devices at a collector current density of J_C = 5×10⁴ A/cm² the TC-HBT has an f_T of 54 GHz and f_max of 68 GHz. In comparison with conventional GaInP/GaAs HBTs, these devices have shown 5 × reduction in saturation charge storage. These attributes make the proposed devices very well suited for microwave power amplifiers

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; current density; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; heterojunction bipolar transistors; indium compounds; microwave bipolar transistors; microwave power transistors; power bipolar transistors; 0.3 V; 10 nm; 30 mV; 54 GHz; 68 GHz; DC current gain; GaInP-GaAs; GaInP/GaAs; III V semiconductors; collector current density; current density; knee voltage; microwave power amplifiers; saturation charge storage; tunnel collector HBTs; Current density; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Knee; Microwave amplifiers; Microwave devices; Photonic band gap; Power amplifiers; Radio frequency; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting, Proceedings of the 2001

Conference_Location

Minneapolis, MN

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7019-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/BIPOL.2001.957860

Filename

957860