Yusuke Nonaka

Direction to improve SiGe BiCMOS technology featuring 200-GHz SiGe HBT and 80-nm gate CMOS

200 GHz f/sub T/ SiGe HBTs and 80 nm gate CMOS were successfully integrated using the LP-CVD technique for selective SiGe epitaxial growth. Suppressing base resistance enabled us to achieve f/sub MAX/ of 227 GHz, corresponding to f/sub T/ of 201 GHz. Shrunk HBTs of A/sub E/=0.15/spl times/0.7 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ achieved ECL ring oscillator gate delay of 5.3 ps at Ics=1.2 mA. Self-heating effects on junction temperature and device performance were investigated with an emitter-width scaling effect. A low thermal budget HBT process sustains full compatibility with 0.13 /spl mu/m platforms for large scaled RF ICs.

Integration of a 0.13-/spl mu/m CMOS and a high performance self-aligned SiGe HBT featuring low base resistance

Without inducing any degradation of CMOS performance and reliability, a high performance self-aligned SiGe-HBT process was successfully integrated to a standard 0.13-/spl mu/m CMOS platform including dual gate oxides and five layers of Al metallization. Suppressing moisture elimination from a wafer surface is a key for reducing thermal budgets during the SiGe HBT formation process. We found that a heavily boron-doped intrinsic base that is highly activated by 1000/spl deg/C RTA improved HBT performance with low r/sub bb/ of 82 /spl Omega/ and high f/sub T//f/sub max/ of 122/178 GHz.

Determination of Lateral Charge Distributions of Split-gate SONOS Memories Using Experimental Devices with Nanometer-size Nitride Piece

Lateral charge distribution in nitride of split-gate type semiconductor-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SONOS) memories has been determined by well-controlled experimental devices in which nanometer-size nitride piece was located at various positions for monitoring trapped charge. We found that electron distribution is created by two different hot-electron-injection mechanisms. Based on this new finding, the way to improve the matching of electron and hole distributions is investigated.

A Flexible 0.18

Hitachis SiGe BiCMOS technology, which integrates 0.18 μm CMOS and a SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), does not degrade MOS or bipolar performance. The BiCMOS process is divided into blocks, and the ordering of their processing is optimized so that they do not interfere with each other. Low-thermal-budget SiGe HBT formation is achieved using a minimal-moisture-desorption oxide layer, thereby avoiding disturbing the CMOS process. This technology, which can also be applied to the 0.13 μm generation, has been used for applications ranging from high-speed ones like automotive radar and 40 Gbps optical communication to consumer ones like wireless.