High reliability InGaP/GaAs HBT

Author

Pan, N. ; Elliott, J. ; Knowles, M. ; Vu, D.P. ; Kishimoto, K. ; Twynam, J.K. ; Sato, H. ; Fresina, M.T. ; Stillman, G.E.

Author_Institution

Kopin Corp., Taunton, MA, USA

Volume

19

Issue

4

fYear

1998

fDate

4/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

115

Lastpage

117

Abstract

Excellent long term reliability InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are demonstrated. There were no device failures (T=10000 h) in a sample lot of ten devices (L=6.4 μm ×20 μm) under moderate current densities and high-temperature testing (J/sub c/=25 kA/cm², V/sub ce/=2.0 V, Junction Temp =264/spl deg/C). The dc current gain for large area devices (L=75 μm ×75 μm) at 1 kA/cm² at a base sheet resistance of 240 ohms/sq (4×10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/@700 /spl Aring/) was over 100. The dc current gain before reliability testing (L=6.4 μm ×10 μm) at 0.8 kA/cm² was 62. The dc current gain (0.8 kA/cm²) decreased to 57 after 10000 h of reliability testing. The devices showed an f_T=61 GHz and f_max=103 GHz. The reliability results are the highest ever achieved for InGaP/GaAs HBT and these results indicate the great potential of InGaP/GaAs HBT for numerous low- and high-frequency microwave circuit applications. The reliability improvements are probably due to the initial low base current at low current densities which result from the low surface recombination of InGaP and the high valence band discontinuity between InGaP and GaAs.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; chemical vapour deposition; gallium arsenide; gallium compounds; heterojunction bipolar transistors; indium compounds; microwave bipolar transistors; semiconductor device reliability; semiconductor growth; surface recombination; 10000 h; 103 GHz; 2.0 V; 264 degC; 61 GHz; HBT; InGaP-GaAs; base sheet resistance; dc current gain; device failures; high-temperature testing; large area devices; metalorganic chemical vapor deposition; microwave circuit applications; moderate current densities; reliability; surface recombination; valence band discontinuity; Bipolar transistors; Current density; Doping; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Microwave circuits; Microwave devices; Radio frequency; Temperature; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/55.663532

Filename

663532