Title :
Design and fabrication of submicrometer AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs grown by LPOMVPE
Author :
Yang, L.W. ; Wright, P.D. ; Shen, H. ; Lu, Y. ; Brusenback, P.R. ; Ko, S.K. ; Calderon, L. ; Laude, D. ; Hartzler, W.D. ; Dutt, M.
Author_Institution :
General Electric Electron. Lab., Syracuse, NY, USA
Abstract :
The device fabrication, high-frequency performance, and effects of a heavily-carbon-doped base on submicrometer AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) are discussed. Photoluminescence (PL) techniques were employed to study the contributions of surface and bulk recombination in GaAs:C samples. PL intensity was quenched mainly by the bulk recombination mechanism in heavily-carbon-doped samples. The contribution from surface recombination is negligible. The emitter size effect is eliminated by using a single p+ (1×1020 cm-3) base layer in the HBT structure. Use of a heavily-carbon-doped base layer provides for low base resistance while maintaining the abrupt acceptor profile required for high emitter injection efficiency. A maximum frequency of oscillation (fMAX) of over 100 GHz has been obtained from a submicron HBT (0.6 μm×8.5 μm). As a result of minimizing surface recombination in the extrinsic base region, fMAX increases from 70 GHz to 91 GHz as emitter width decreases from 3.0 μm to 0.6 μm (×4.5 μm) while fT remains nearly unchanged. The experimental results suggest that submicron AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs are suitable for ultra-high-speed IC applications
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; bipolar integrated circuits; carbon; gallium arsenide; heterojunction bipolar transistors; semiconductor doping; semiconductor epitaxial layers; solid-state microwave devices; vapour phase epitaxial growth; 0.6 micron; 100 to 70 GHz; AlGaAs-GaAs; GaAs:C; HBTs; LPOMVPE; abrupt acceptor profile; base resistance; bulk recombination; bulk recombination mechanism; device fabrication; emitter injection efficiency; emitter size effect; experimental results; extrinsic base region; heterojunction bipolar transistors; high-frequency performance; maximum frequency of oscillation; photoluminescence; semiconductors; submicron HBT; surface recombination; ultra-high-speed IC applications; Circuit testing; Electronic equipment testing; Fabrication; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Lattices; Optical surface waves; Photoluminescence; Springs; X-ray diffraction;
Conference_Titel :
High Speed Semiconductor Devices and Circuits, 1991., Proceedings IEEE/Cornell Conference on Advanced Concepts in
Conference_Location :
Ithaca, NY
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-0491-8
DOI :
10.1109/CORNEL.1991.169998
