Anjan Chakravorty

In this part, we propose a step-by-step strategy to model the static thermal coupling factors between the fingers in a silicon based multifinger bipolar transistor structure. First we provide a physics-based formulation to find out the coupling factors in a multifinger structure having no-trench isolation (cij,nt). As a second step, using the value of cij,nt, we propose a formulation to estimate the coupling factor in a multifinger structure having only shallow trench isolations (cij,st). Finally, the coupling factor model for a deep and shallow trench isolated multifinger device (cij,dt) is presented. The proposed modeling technique takes as inputs the dimensions of emitter fingers, shallow and deep trench isolations, their relative locations and the temperature dependent material thermal conductivity. Coupling coefficients obtained from the model are validated against 3D TCAD simulations of multifinger bipolar transistors with and without trench isolations. Geometry scalability of the model is also demonstrated.

Detailed formulations for DC and AC emitter current crowding are presented in view of developing an extended π-equivalent circuit (EC) model to accurately predict the lateral non-quasi-static effects in silicon germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors. Under negligible DC current crowding, the EC reduces to a simple π-model. The implementation-suitable versions of the models are also developed. Compared to state-of-the-art model formulations, the extended π-model shows better accuracy in predicting device simulated data. If desired, the high level of accuracy obtained by the extended π-model can be traded with the required extra simulation time due to one extra node.

In this paper, we present extensive random telegraph signal (RTS) noise characterization in SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors. RTS noise, observed at the base, originates at the emitter periphery while at the collector side distinct RTS noise is observed at high-injection that originates from the traps in the shallow trench regions. Time constants extracted from RTS during aging tests allow understanding of trap dynamics and new defect formation within the device structure. This paper provides the first demonstration of RTS measurements during accelerated aging tests to study and understand generation of defects under bias stress in SiGe HBTs operating at the limit of their safe-operating area.

A modified physics-based two-section model is proposed to accurately capture the lateral non-quasi-static effect in SiGe HBTs. A methodology is proposed to include the DC emitter current crowding effect in the existing two-section model framework. The proposed two-section model is implemented in Verilog-A. The large-signal transient and the small-signal AC simulations are carried out and the results are compared with the numerical device simulation data. The proposed model is observed to perform better than the existing two-section model and the state-of-the-art standard model from the perspectives of small-signal frequency-domain characteristics and large-signal transients.

In this brief, we propose a step-by-step strategy to accurately estimate the finger temperature in a silicon-based multifinger bipolar transistor structure from conventional measurements. First we extract the nearly zero-power self-heating resistances (Rth,ii (Ta)) and thermal coupling factors (cij (Ta)) at a given ambient temperature. Now, by applying the superposition principle on these variables at nearly zero-power, where the linearity of the heat diffusion equation is preserved, we estimate an effective thermal resistance (Rth,i (Ta)) and the corresponding revised finger temperature Ti (Ta). Finally, the Kirchhoff's transformation on Ti (Ta) yields the true temperature at each finger (Ti (Ta,Pd)). The proposed extraction technique automatically includes the effects of back-end-of-line metal layers and different types of trenches present within the transistor structure. The technique is first validated against 3-D TCAD simulation results of bipolar transistors with different emitter dimensions and then applied on actual measured data obtained from the state-of-the-art multifinger SiGe HBT from STMicroelectronics B5T technology. It is observed that the superposition of raw measured data at around 40 mW power underestimates the true finger temperature by around 10%.

In this paper, we have assessed the RF measurements of SiGe HBTs upto 500 GHz using TCAD simulation for the first time. In order to bring confidence in simulation, the device geometries and doping profiles are captured in the simulation deck. Then all the basic DC and RF properties are calibrated with the measured data for two different geometries. Additionally the simulated unilateral gain and small signal current gain are also brought in agreement with the corresponding measured data at different bias voltages for both the devices. Finally bias and frequency dependent S- parameter measurements are compared with the TCAD simulation and resulting issues are discussed.

This paper proposes a novel 3D nanowire (NW) based SiGe HBT for the first time. The overall purpose is to estimate the RF performance of an NW device based on the state-of-the-art B55 technology from STMicroelectronics. The challenges associated with the device fabrication and corresponding solutions are briefed. The proposed NW-HBT array predicts an fMAX(> 900GHz) that is more than twice of that obtainable from the corresponding bulk SiGe HBT.

Limitations of existing models for collector current noise power spectral density of silicon germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors are figured out and suitable model modifications are proposed based on non-quasi-static delay and self-heating effects. Modeling results show excellent agreement with device simulated data obtained using hydrodynamic technique. © 2012 IEEE.

From the perspectives of characterized data, calibrated TCAD simulations and compact modeling, we present a deeper investigation of the very high frequency behavior of state-of-the-art sub-THz silicon germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) fabricated with 55-nm BiC-MOS process technology from STMicroelectronics. The TCAD simulation platform is appropriately calibrated with the measurements in order to aid the extraction of a few selected high-frequency (HF) parameters of the state-of-the-art compact model HICUM, which are otherwise difficult to extract from traditionally prepared test-structures. Physics-based strategies of extracting the HF parameters are elaborately presented followed by a sensitivity study to see the effects of the variations of HF parameters on certain frequency-dependent characteristics until 500 GHz. Finally, the deployed HICUM model is evaluated against the measured s-parameters of the investigated SiGe HBT until 500 GHz.

In this paper, we extend the model developed in part-I of this work to include the effects of the back-end-of-line (BEOL) metal layers and test its validity against on-wafer measurement results of SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). First we modify the position dependent substrate temperature model of part-I by introducing a parameter to account for the upward heat flow through BEOL. Accordingly the coupling coefficient models for bipolar transistors with and without trench isolations are updated. The resulting modeling approach takes as inputs the dimensions of emitter fingers, shallow and deep trench isolation, their relative locations and the temperature dependent material thermal conductivity. Coupling coefficients obtained from the model are first validated against 3D TCAD simulations including the effect of BEOL followed by validation against measured data obtained from state-of-art multifinger SiGe HBTs of different emitter geometries.