Title :
Influence of base thickness on collector breakdown in abrupt AlInAs/InGaAs heterostructure bipolar transistors
Author :
Jalali, Bahram ; Chen, Young-Kai ; Nottenburg, Richard N. ; Sivco, D. ; Humphrey, D.A. ; Cho, Alfred Y.
Author_Institution :
AT&T Bell Lab., Murray Hill, NJ, USA
Abstract :
The avalanche process in the collector of abrupt Al/sub 0.48/In/sub 0.52/As-In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As heterostructure bipolar transistors (HBTs) is reported. It is reported that the collector multiplication constant decreases monotonically with increasing base thickness. When the base thickness is less than the mean-free path for energy relaxation in the base, the avalanche process in the collector is enhanced by high-energy injection from the emitter. On the other hand, no such dependence is observed for long-base transistors with equilibrium base transport. These effects are expected as the emitter injection energy of 0.48 eV is appreciable compared to the impact ionization threshold of 0.83 eV in the InGaAs collector.<>
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; gallium arsenide; heterojunction bipolar transistors; impact ionisation; indium compounds; 0.48 eV; 0.83 eV; Al/sub 0.48/In/sub 0.52/As-In/sub 0.53/Ga/sub 0.47/As; InGaAs collector; abrupt HBTs; avalanche process; base thickness; collector breakdown; collector multiplication constant; emitter injection energy; equilibrium base transport; heterostructure bipolar transistors; high-energy injection; impact ionization threshold; long-base transistors; mean-free path; semiconductors; Artificial intelligence; Bipolar transistors; Doping; Electric breakdown; Electrons; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Impact ionization; Indium gallium arsenide; Photonic band gap; Voltage;
Journal_Title :
Electron Device Letters, IEEE
