Applications and processing of SiGe and SiGe:C for high-speed HBT devices

Abstract

The continued growth of high-speed-digital data transmission and wireless communications technology has motivated increased integration levels for ICs serving these markets. Further, the increasing use of portable wireless communications tools requiring long battery lifetimes necessitates low power consumption by the semiconductor devices within these tools. The SiGe and SiGe:C materials systems provide solutions to both of these market needs in that they are fully monolithically integratible with Si BiCMOS technology. Also, the use of SiGe or SiGe:C HBTs for the high-frequency bipolar elements in the BiCMOS circuits results in greatly decreased power consumption when compared to Si BJT devices. Either a DFT (graded Ge content across the base) or a true HBT (constant Ge content across the base) bipolar transistor can be fabricated using SiGe or SiGe:C. Historically, the graded profile has been favored in the industry since the average Ge content in the pseudomorphic base is less than that of a true HBT and, therefore, the DFT is tolerant of higher thermal budget processing after deposition of the base. The inclusion of small amounts of C (e.g. <0.5%) in SiGe is effective in suppressing the diffusion of B such that very narrow extremely heavily doped base regions can be built. Thus the f T and f max of a SiGe:C HBT/DFT are capable of being much higher than that of a SiGe HBT/DFT. The growth of the base region can be accomplished by either nonselective mixed deposition or by selective epitaxy. The nonselective process has the advantage of reduced complexity, higher deposition rate and, therefore, higher productivity than the selective epitaxy process. The selective epi process, however, requires fewer changes to an existing fabrication sequence in order to accommodate SiGe or SiGe:C HBT/DFT devices into the BiCMOS circuit.