Large-signal microwave characterization of AlGaAs/GaAs HBT´s based on a physics-based electrothermal model

Author

Snowden, Christopher M.

Author_Institution

Microwave & Terahertz Technol. Group, Leeds Univ., UK

Volume

45

Issue

1

fYear

1997

fDate

1/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

58

Lastpage

71

Abstract

A physics-based multicell electrothermal equivalent circuit model is described that is applied to the large-signal microwave characterization of AlGaAs/GaAs HBT´s. This highly efficient model, which incorporates a new multifinger electrothermal model, has been used to perform dc, small-signal and load-pull characterization, and investigate parameter-spreads due to fabrication process variations. An enhanced Newton algorithm is presented for solving the nonlinear system of equations for the model and associated circuit simulator, which allows a faster and more robust solution than contemporary quasi-Newton nonlinear schemes. The model has been applied to the characterization of heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) microwave power amplifiers

Keywords

III-VI semiconductors; Newton method; aluminium compounds; characteristics measurement; circuit CAD; circuit analysis computing; equivalent circuits; gallium arsenide; heterojunction bipolar transistors; microwave bipolar transistors; microwave circuits; microwave power amplifiers; microwave power transistors; power bipolar transistors; semiconductor device models; AlGaAs-GaAs; HBT; III-V semiconductors; circuit simulator; enhanced Newton algorithm; equivalent circuit model; fabrication process variations; large-signal microwave characterization; load-pull characterization; microwave power amplifiers; multifinger model; nonlinear equations system; physics-based electrothermal model; small-signal characterization; Circuit simulation; Electrothermal effects; Equivalent circuits; Fabrication; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Nonlinear equations; Nonlinear systems; Power system modeling; Robustness;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/22.552033

Filename

552033