Initial degradation of base-emitter junction in carbon-doped InP/InGaAs HBTs under bias and temperature stress

Author

Kurishima, Kenji ; Yamahata, Shoji ; Nakajima, Hiroki ; Ito, Hiroshi ; Watanabe, Noriyuki

Author_Institution

NTT Syst. Electron. Labs., Atsugi, Japan

Volume

19

Issue

8

fYear

1998

Firstpage

303

Lastpage

305

Abstract

Bias-temperature stress tests were performed to examine the stability of base-emitter junction characteristics of carbon-doped InP/InGaAs heterojunction biopolar transistors (HBT´s). Two different kinds of degradation modes were observed from the Gummel I-V characteristics. One is characterized by the gradual increase in a nonideal base current. The generation of the nonideal current strongly depends on the crystallographic orientation of the emitter mesa. The other degradation mode was observed when a large current (200 kA/cm/sup 2/) was injected under a high ambient temperature (180/spl deg/C). This degradation is characterized by an initial decrease in turn-on voltage and significant drop in current gain.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; carbon; gallium arsenide; heterojunction bipolar transistors; indium compounds; semiconductor device reliability; thermal stability; 180 C; C-doped InP/InGaAs HBT; Gummel I-V characteristics; InP-InGaAs:C; base-emitter junction; base-emitter junction characteristics; bias stress; bias-temperature stress tests; crystallographic orientation dependence; current gain reduction; degradation modes; emitter mesa; heterojunction biopolar transistors; high ambient temperature; initial degradation; junction stability; large current injection; nonideal base current; temperature stress; turn-on voltage reduction; Crystallography; Degradation; Heterojunctions; Indium gallium arsenide; Indium phosphide; Performance evaluation; Stability; Stress; Temperature; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/55.704407

Filename

704407