SMALL-SCALE InGaP/GaAs HETEROJUNCTION BIPOLAR TRANSISTORS FOR HIGH-SPEED AND LOW-POWER INTEGRATED-CIRCUIT APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Small-scale InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with high-speed as well as low-current operation are demonstrated. To reduce the emitter size SE and the base-collector capacitance CBC simultaneously, the HBTs are fabricated by using WSi/Ti as the base electrode and by burying SiO 2 in the extrinsic collector region. WSi/Ti metals simplify and facilitate processing to fabricate small base electrodes, and the buried SiO 2 reduces the parasitic CBC under the base electrode. The cutoff frequency fT of 156 GHz and the maximum oscillation frequency f max of 255 GHz were obtained at a collector current Ic of 3.5 mA for the HBT with SE of 0.5 μ m ×4.5 μ m , and fT of 114 GHz and f max of 230 GHz were obtained at IC of 0.9 mA for the HBT with SE of 0.25 μ m ×1.5 μ m . A 1/8 static frequency divider operated at a maximum toggle frequency of 39.5 GHz with a power consumption per flip-flop of 190 mW. A transimpedance amplifier provides a gain of 46.5 dB·Ω with a bandwidth of 41.6 GHz at a power consumption of 150 mW. These results indicate the great potential of our HBTs for high-speed. low power integrated circuit applications.