Concepedia

Reliability of SiGe HBTs for Power Amplifiers—Part I: Large-Signal RF Performance and Operating Limits

Curtis M. Grens, Peng Cheng, John D. Cressler

IEEE Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability · 2009 · 46 citations · 17 references

DOI

Concepts

Abstract

This paper examines the performance and reliability implications associated with aggressively biased cascode SiGe HBT power-amplifier cores under large-signal RF operating conditions. The role of high-power RF stress on device degradation and failure is examined in detail. General expressions for a large-signal RF safe-operating area, which account for the effect of load impedance on the dynamic output current and voltage characteristics, are presented. These show excellent agreement with experimental results. Useful operating guidelines for reliable large-signal operation are provided.

References

17

Self-aligned SiGe NPN transistors with 285 GHz f/sub MAX/ and 207 GHz f/sub T/ in a manufacturable technology

B. Jagannathan, Mahmoud Khater, F. Pagette et al. · IEEE Electron Device Letters · 2002 · 262 citations

, , +15

Influence of impact-ionization-induced instabilities on the maximum usable output voltage of Si-bipolar transistors

M. Rickelt, H.-M. Rein, Elizabeth Rose · IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices · 2001 · 141 citations

, , +16

Collector-base junction avalanche effects in advanced double-poly self-aligned bipolar transistors

P.-F. Lu, T.-C. Chen · IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices · 1989 · 109 citations

, , +17

Silicon-germanium BiCMOS HBT technology for wireless power amplifier applications

J. Johnson, Alvin Joseph, David C. Sheridan et al. · IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits · 2004 · 68 citations

, , +16

Explosion of poly-silicide links in laser programmable redundancy for VLSI memory repair

C.-Y. Lu, J.D. Chlipala, Leonard M. Scarfone · IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices · 1989 · 67 citations

, , +12