AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors fabricated using a self-aligned dual-lift-off process

Abstract

This paper describes a self-aligned heterojunction-bipolar-transistor (HBT) process based on a simple dual-lift-off method. Transistors with emitter width down to 1.2 µm and base doping up to 1 × 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">20</sup> /cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> have been fabricated. Extrapolated current gain cutoff frequency f <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">t</inf> of 55 GHz and maximum frequency of oscillation <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">f_{\max}</tex> of 105 GHz have been obtained. Current-mode-logic (CML) ring oscillators with propagation delays as low as 14.2 ps have been demonstrated. These are record performance results for bipolar transistors. The dual-lift-off process is promising for both millimeter-wave devices and large-scale integrated circuit fabrication.