James S. Dunn

Current status and future trends of SiGe BiCMOS technology

The silicon germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) marketplace covers a wide range of products and product requirements, particularly when combined with CMOS in a BiCMOS technology. A new base integration approach is presented which decouples the structural and thermal features of the HBT from the CMOS. The trend is to use this approach for future SiGe technologies for easier migration to advanced CMOS technology generations. Lateral and vertical scaling are used to achieve smaller and faster SiGe HBT devices with greatly increased current densities. Improving both the f/sub T/ and f/sub MAX/ will be a significant challenge as the collector and base dopant concentrations are increased. The increasing current densities of the SiGe HBT will put more emphasis on interconnects as a key factor in limiting transistor layout. Capacitors and inductors are two very important passives that must improve with each generation. The trend toward increasing capacitance in polysilicon-insulator-silicon (MOSCAP), polysilicon-insulator-polysilicon (Poly-Poly), and metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors is discussed. The trend in VLSI interconnections toward thinner interlevel dielectrics and metallization layers is counter to the requirements of high Q inductors, potentially requiring a custom last metallization layer.

A 0.18 /spl mu/m BiCMOS technology featuring 120/100 GHz (f/sub T//f/sub max/) HBT and ASIC-compatible CMOS using copper interconnect

A BiCMOS technology is presented that integrates a high performance NPN (f/sub T/=120 GHz and f/sub max/=100 GHz), ASIC compatible 0.11 /spl mu/m L/sub eff/ CMOS, and a full suite of passive elements. Significant HBT performance enhancement compared to previously published results has been achieved through further collector and base profile optimization guided by process and device simulations. Base transit time reduction was achieved by simultaneously increasing the Ge ramp and by limiting the base diffusion with the addition of carbon doping to SiGe epitaxial base. This paper describes IBMs next generation SiGe BiCMOS production technology targeted at the communications market.

Foundation of rf CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS technologies

This paper provides a detailed description of the IBM SiGe BiCMOS and rf CMOS technologies. The technologies provide high-performance SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) combined with advanced CMOS technology and a variety of passive devices critical for realizing an integrated mixed-signal system-on-a-chip (SoC). The paper reviews the process development and integration methodology, presents the device characteristics, and shows how the development and device selection were geared toward usage in mixed-signal IC development.

A Thin-Film SOI 180nm CMOS RF Switch Technology

This paper describes a 180nm CMOS thin film SOI technology developed for RF switch applications. For the first time we show that the well-known harmonic generation issue in HRES SOI technologies can be suppressed with one additional mask. Power handling, linearity, and Ron*Coff product are competitive with GaAs pHEMT and silicon-on-sapphire technologies. Index Terms — RF switch, thin film SOI, wireless, CMOS

Product applications and technology directions with SiGe BiCMOS

In this paper we highlight the effectiveness and flexibility of SiGe BiCMOS as a technology platform over a wide range of performance and applications. Examples include high speed device design, power amplifiers, integrated VCOs and very high level integration.

Through-silicon vias enable next-generation SiGe power amplifiers forwireless communications

We feature a 0.35-µm SiGe BiCMOS technology (SiGe 5PAe) that is optimized for power amplifier (PA) applications. The key feature of this technology is a novel low-inductance ground to the package using through-silicon vias (TSVs) that results in a competitive solution for future multiband and multimode PA integration. The tungsten-filled, multifinger, bar-shaped TSV delivers more than a 75% reduction in inductance compared to a traditional wirebond. This enables higher frequency applications with a roughly 20% reduction in die area without compromising the technology reliability for use conditions in a low-cost plastic QFN (quad flat no leads) package. In this paper we demonstrate the commercial feasibility of the TSV, its RF performance, its reliability, and its usefulness in a demanding WiMAX® (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) PA application.

Electrostatic discharge characterization of epitaxial-base silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors

This paper investigates high-current and electrostatic discharge (ESD) phenomena in pseudomorphic epitaxial-base silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) in base-collector, base-emitter, collector-emitter and collector-to-substrate configurations. Transmission line pulse (TLP) and ESD human body model (HBM) wafer-level reliability testing of SiGe HBTs is completed for high-current characterization and evaluation of the ESD robustness of a BiCMOS SiGe technology.

Electrostatic discharge and high current pulse characterization of epitaxial-base silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors

This paper investigates high-current and electrostatic discharge (ESD) phenomenon in pseudomorphic epitaxial-base silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT). Transmission line pulse (TLP) and ESD human body model (HBM) wafer-level reliability testing, failure analysis and simulation of SiGe HBT devices is completed for high-current characterization and evaluation of the ESD robustness of a BiCMOS SiGe technology.

A BiCMOS Technology Featuring a 300/330 GHz (fT/fmax) SiGe HBT for Millimeter Wave Applications

The paper presents a 0.13 mum SiGe BiCMOS technology for millimeter wave applications. This technology features a high performance HBT (fT = 300 GHz /fmax = 330 GHz) along with various newly developed millimeter wave features, such varactor, Schottky and p-i-n diodes and other back end of line passives

A 0.24 /spl mu/m SiGe BiCMOS mixed-signal RF production technology featuring a 47 GHz f/sub t/ HBT and 0.18 /spl mu/m L/sub ett/ CMOS

A new base-after-gate integration scheme has been developed to integrate a 47 GHz f/sub t/, 65 GHz F/sub max/SiGe HBT process with a 0.24 /spl mu/m CMOS technology having 0.18 /spl mu/m L/sub eff/ and 5 nm gate oxide. We discuss the benefits and challenges of this integration scheme which decouples the HBT from the CMOS thermal cycles. We also describe the resulting 0.24 /spl mu/m SiGe BiCMOS technology, BiCMOS 6HP, which includes a 7 nm dual gate oxide option and full suite of passive components. The technology provides a high level of integration for mixed-signal RF applications.