Large-Signal Performance, Linearity, and Reliability Characteristics of Aggressively-Biased Cascode SiGe HBTs for Power Amplifier Applications

Author

Grens, Curtis M. ; Cressler, John D. ; Joseph, Alvin J.

Author_Institution

Georgia Inst. of Technol., Atlanta

fYear

2007

fDate

Sept. 30 2007-Oct. 2 2007

Firstpage

135

Lastpage

138

Abstract

Power performance, linearity, and reliability are investigated for aggressive V_C bias (i.e., under strong base-current reversal and pinch-in) on cascode SiGe HBTs, in order to determine the influence of avalanche effects on PA performance and reliability. Moderate gain and linearity degradation are associated with excessive V_C bias (pinch-in), and dynamic stress at high V_C shows behavior similar to mixed-mode (simultaneous high J_E + high V_CB) stress. No significant degradation to PA performance was observed during dynamic stress.

Keywords

Ge-Si alloys; avalanche breakdown; heterojunction bipolar transistors; power amplifiers; semiconductor materials; Si-Ge; aggressively-biased cascode HBT; avalanche effects; dynamic stress; linearity degradation; mixed-mode stress; power amplifier applications; Breakdown voltage; Germanium silicon alloys; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Linearity; Power amplifiers; Radio frequency; Silicon germanium; Stress; USA Councils; Virtual colonoscopy; PA; SiGe HBT BiCMOS technology; avalanche breakdown; bipolar transistors; dynamic stress; impact ionization; mixed-mode reliability; power amplifier; safe-operating-area;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting, 2007. BCTM '07. IEEE

Conference_Location

Boston, MA

ISSN

1088-9299

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-1019-4

Electronic_ISBN

1088-9299

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/BIPOL.2007.4351854

Filename

4351854