Multifinger Indium Phosphide Double-Heterostructure Transistor Circuit Technology With Integrated Diamond Heat Sink Layer

Abstract

The RF power output of scaled subterahertz and terahertz indium phosphide double-heterostructure bipolar transistors (InP DHBTs) is limited by the thermal device resistance, which increases with the geometrical frequency scaling of these devices. We present a diamond thin-film heat sink process aimed at the efficient removal of the heat generated in submicrometer InP HBTs. The thin-film diamond is integrated in a wafer bond process. Vertical connections are facilitated by plasma-processed contact holes through the diamond layer, metallized with electroplated gold. The process is suitable for monolithic circuit integration, amenable to the realization of high-power analog circuits in the millimeter-wave region and beyond. The thermal resistance of double-finger transistors with a 0.8- $\mu \text{m}$ emitter width could be reduced to 0.7 K/mW, while reaching the gain cutoff frequencies of $f_{T}=360$ GHz and $f_{\mathrm {max}}=350$ GHz. An integrated two-stage power amplifier with four-way power combining fabricated in this technology exhibited 20-dBm power output at 90 GHz with a bandwidth of 10 GHz.