The silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT) is the first practical bandgap-engineered device to be realized in silicon. SiGe HBT technology combines performance competitive with III-V technologies processing maturity, integration levels, yield, and hence, cost commonly associated conventional Si fabrication. In ten-and-one-half years since demonstration of a functional transistor, has emerged from research laboratory, entered manufacturing on 200-mm wafers, poised...

A detailed review of SiGe epitaxial base technology is presented, which chronicles the progression research from materials deposition through device and integration demonstrations, culminating in first integrated circuit application. In part I this paper, requirements processes for high-quality film preparation are discussed, with emphasis on fundamental principles. overview HBT design implications applications then presented.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"...

"Extreme environments" represents an important niche market for electronics and spans the operation of electronic components in surroundings lying outside domain conventional commercial, or even military, specifications. Such extreme environments would include, instance, to very low temperatures (e.g., 77 K 4.2 K), at high 200/spl deg/C 300/spl deg/C), a radiation-rich environment space). We argue that unique bandgap-engineered features silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors...

For pt. I, see ibid., vol. 3, p. 455-68 (1995). This part focuses on process integration concerns, first described in general terms and then detailed through an extensive review of both simple non-self-aligned device structures more complex self-aligned structures. The extension SiGe technology to high levels is discussed a full HBT BiCMOS process. Finally, analog circuit design concluded, with description 12-bit Digital-to-Analog Converter presented highlight the current status technology.

The maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) quantifies the practical upper bound for useful circuit operation. We report here an fmax of 70 GHz in transistors using epitaxial graphene grown on C-face SiC. This is a significant improvement over Si-face used prior high-frequency transistor studies, exemplifying superior electronics potential graphene. Careful design high κ dielectric T-gate and self-aligned contacts further contributed to record-breaking fmax.

Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) technology effectively merges the desirable attributes of conventional silicon-based CMOS manufacturing (high integration levels, at high yield and low cost) with extreme levels transistor performance attainable in classical III-V heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). SiGe joins together on-die high-speed bandgap-engineered HBTs Si to form BiCMOS technology, including all requisite RF passive elements multi-level thick-Al metalization required for circuit...

This paper presents reconfigurable RF integrated circuits (ICs) for a compact implementation of an intelligent front-end multiband and multistandard applications. Reconfigurability has been addressed at each level starting from the basic elements to blocks overall architecture. An active resistor tunable 400 1600 /spl Omega/ up 10 GHz designed equivalent model extracted. A fully inductor using feedback proposed that provides inductances between 0.1-15 nH with Q>50 in C-band. To demonstrate...

This paper describes the analysis and design of saturated silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) switches for millimeter-wave applications. A switch optimization procedure is developed based on detailed theoretical then used to multiple variants. The utilize IBM's 90-nm 9HP technology, which features SiGe HBTs with peak f T/ fmax 300/350 GHz. Using a reverse-saturated configuration, single-pole double-throw measured insertion loss 1.05 dB isolation 22 achieved at 94...

The design of a radiation-efficient D-band end-fire on-chip antenna utilizing localized back-side etching (LBE) technique, as well an antenna-in-package (AiP) on low-cost organic substrate, is presented. Quasi-Yagi-Uda antennas are chosen for radiation because their compact size. realized in the back-end line (BEOL) process 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS technology, whereas in-package liquid crystal polymer (LCP) technology comparison. optimized to meet both reliability specifications and performance,...

A compact, low loss, wideband digital step attenuator (DSA) is presented. The proposed DSA utilizes amplitude/phase-compensated T-type cells, in which the locations of poles and zeros are manipulated for minimizing variations attenuation phase. In addition, reduced cells that eliminate series switch transistors used to achieve insertion loss (IL). These techniques provide (dc-20 GHz) operation DSA, with significantly decreased attenuation/phase errors IL. was implemented a 130-nm...

The DC design considerations associated with optimizing epitaxial Si- and SiGe-base bipolar transistors for the 77-K environment are examined in detail. Transistors circuits were fabricated using four different vertical profiles, three a graded-bandgap SiGe base, one Si base comparison. All epitaxial-base profiles yield properties suitable high-speed logic applications environment. differences between low-temperature characteristics of highlighted both theoretically experimentally. A...

This letter presents the first demonstration of a silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT) capable operation above one-half terahertz (500 GHz) frequency. An extracted peak unity gain cutoff frequency (f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> ) 510 GHz at 4.5 K was measured for 0.12×1.0 μm <sup xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> SiGe HBT (352 300 K) breakdown voltage BV/sub CEO/ 1.36 V (1.47...

SEE testing at multi-Gbit/s data rates has traditionally involved elaborate high speed test equipment setups for at-speed testing. We demonstrate a generally applicable self circuit approach implemented in IBM's 5AM SiGe process, and describe its ability to capture complex error signatures during operation exceeding 5 Gbit/s. Comparisons of acquired with FPGA control the CREST ASIC versus conventional bit rate validate approach. In addition, we characteristics IBM process five variations D...

“Extreme environment” electronics represent an important niche market in the trillion dollar global industry and span operation of electronic circuits systems surroundings lying outside domain conventional commercial or military specifications. Such extreme environments might include, for instance, following: 1) down to very low temperatures (e.g., 77 K even 4.2 below); 2) up high 200°C 300°C); 3) across wide and/or cyclic temperature swings -230°C +120°C night day, as found on lunar...

We demonstrate record ac performance (0.8 THz) for a silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT) operating at cryogenic temperatures. An extracted peak f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">MAX</sub> of 798 GHz (peak xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> 479 GHz) 4.3 K was measured device with BV xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">CEO</sub> 1.67 V. This scaled SiGe HBT also exhibits excellent...

A 5 GHz CMOS LNA featuring a record 0.95 dB noise-figure is reported. Using an inductively-degenerated cascode topology combined with floating-body transistors and high-Q passives on SOI substrate, noise figure superior linearity performance at are obtained. The low-noise amplifier (LNA) achieves up to 11 of gain while consuming 12 mW dc power, capable supporting 802.11a WLAN applications. impact body-contact the RF described linked improved intermodulation performance.

This work demonstrates two 94 GHz SPDT quarter-wave shunt switches using saturated SiGe HBTs. A new mode of operation, called reverse saturation, the emitter at RF output node switch, is utilized to take advantage higher doping and improved isolation from substrate. The were designed in a 180 nm BiCMOS technology featuring 90 HBTs (selective shrink) with f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> /f...

This paper investigates the impact of interconnect between bottom and top metal layers on transistor RF performance CMOS silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar (HBT) technologies. State-of-the-art 32-nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) 120-nm SiGe HBT technologies are analyzed in detail. Measured results indicate a significant reduction unity-gain frequency (f <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> ) from to layer for...

A review of silicon photonics for space applications is presented. The benefits and advantages size, weight, power, cost (SWaP-C) metrics inherent to are summarized. Motivation their use in optical communications systems microwave addressed. current state our understanding radiation effects included this discussion. Total-ionizing dose, displacement damage, single-event transient discussed detail germanium-integrated photodiodes, waveguides, Mach-Zehnder modulators. Areas needing further...