Analysis and understanding of unique cryogenic phenomena in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs

Qingqing Liang; Ramkumar Krithivasan; Adnan Ahmed; Yuan Lu; Ying Li; John D. Cressler; Guofu Niu; Jae Sung Rieh; Greg Freeman; Dave Ahlgren; Alvin Joseph

doi:10.1016/j.sse.2006.04.027

Analysis and understanding of unique cryogenic phenomena in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs

Qingqing Liang, Ramkumar Krithivasan, Adnan Ahmed, Yuan Lu, Ying Li, John D. Cressler, Guofu Niu, Jae Sung Rieh, Greg Freeman, Dave Ahlgren, Alvin Joseph

School of Electrical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A group of novel device phenomena are reported in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs operating at cryogenic temperatures. Both negative-differential-resistance (NDR) and an unusual "hysteresis" behavior are observed in the forced-I_B output characteristics of 350 GHz SiGe HBTs at cryogenic temperatures. Unlike the NDR effects in resonance-tunneling-diodes and III-V HBTs, the phenomena demonstrated in this paper are correlated to SiGe HBT high-injection effects and modulated by bias level. This unusual cryogenic behavior have been systematically investigated, and the results are compared to 50 GHz, 120 GHz, and 200 GHz SiGe HBT technology generations. An advanced Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination model including tunneling effects is introduced and used to explain the underlying NDR and "hysteresis" mechanisms in these cooled SiGe HBTs. Implications for potential novel device and circuit designs are suggested.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	964-972
Number of pages	9
Journal	Solid-State Electronics
Volume	50
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sse.2006.04.027
Publication status	Published - 2006 Jun

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by IBM, NASA, JPL, and the Georgia Electronics Design Center at Georgia Tech. We thank D. Harame, D. Herman, B. Meyerson, and the IBM SiGe team for their support and contributions.

Keywords

Cryogenic
Heterojunction bipolar transistor
Hysteresis
Low temperature
Negative differential resistance
Shockley-Read-Hall recombination
SiGe HBTs
Silicon-germanium
tunneling

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Materials Chemistry

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10.1016/j.sse.2006.04.027

Cite this

@article{b78eafa2e32944629b87bbde45599c89,

title = "Analysis and understanding of unique cryogenic phenomena in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs",

abstract = "A group of novel device phenomena are reported in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs operating at cryogenic temperatures. Both negative-differential-resistance (NDR) and an unusual {"}hysteresis{"} behavior are observed in the forced-IB output characteristics of 350 GHz SiGe HBTs at cryogenic temperatures. Unlike the NDR effects in resonance-tunneling-diodes and III-V HBTs, the phenomena demonstrated in this paper are correlated to SiGe HBT high-injection effects and modulated by bias level. This unusual cryogenic behavior have been systematically investigated, and the results are compared to 50 GHz, 120 GHz, and 200 GHz SiGe HBT technology generations. An advanced Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination model including tunneling effects is introduced and used to explain the underlying NDR and {"}hysteresis{"} mechanisms in these cooled SiGe HBTs. Implications for potential novel device and circuit designs are suggested.",

keywords = "Cryogenic, Heterojunction bipolar transistor, Hysteresis, Low temperature, Negative differential resistance, Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, SiGe HBTs, Silicon-germanium, tunneling",

author = "Qingqing Liang and Ramkumar Krithivasan and Adnan Ahmed and Yuan Lu and Ying Li and Cressler, {John D.} and Guofu Niu and Rieh, {Jae Sung} and Greg Freeman and Dave Ahlgren and Alvin Joseph",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by IBM, NASA, JPL, and the Georgia Electronics Design Center at Georgia Tech. We thank D. Harame, D. Herman, B. Meyerson, and the IBM SiGe team for their support and contributions. ",

year = "2006",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.sse.2006.04.027",

language = "English",

volume = "50",

pages = "964--972",

journal = "Solid-State Electronics",

issn = "0038-1101",

publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Analysis and understanding of unique cryogenic phenomena in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs

AU - Liang, Qingqing

AU - Krithivasan, Ramkumar

AU - Ahmed, Adnan

AU - Lu, Yuan

AU - Li, Ying

AU - Cressler, John D.

AU - Niu, Guofu

AU - Rieh, Jae Sung

AU - Freeman, Greg

AU - Ahlgren, Dave

AU - Joseph, Alvin

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by IBM, NASA, JPL, and the Georgia Electronics Design Center at Georgia Tech. We thank D. Harame, D. Herman, B. Meyerson, and the IBM SiGe team for their support and contributions.

PY - 2006/6

Y1 - 2006/6

N2 - A group of novel device phenomena are reported in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs operating at cryogenic temperatures. Both negative-differential-resistance (NDR) and an unusual "hysteresis" behavior are observed in the forced-IB output characteristics of 350 GHz SiGe HBTs at cryogenic temperatures. Unlike the NDR effects in resonance-tunneling-diodes and III-V HBTs, the phenomena demonstrated in this paper are correlated to SiGe HBT high-injection effects and modulated by bias level. This unusual cryogenic behavior have been systematically investigated, and the results are compared to 50 GHz, 120 GHz, and 200 GHz SiGe HBT technology generations. An advanced Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination model including tunneling effects is introduced and used to explain the underlying NDR and "hysteresis" mechanisms in these cooled SiGe HBTs. Implications for potential novel device and circuit designs are suggested.

AB - A group of novel device phenomena are reported in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs operating at cryogenic temperatures. Both negative-differential-resistance (NDR) and an unusual "hysteresis" behavior are observed in the forced-IB output characteristics of 350 GHz SiGe HBTs at cryogenic temperatures. Unlike the NDR effects in resonance-tunneling-diodes and III-V HBTs, the phenomena demonstrated in this paper are correlated to SiGe HBT high-injection effects and modulated by bias level. This unusual cryogenic behavior have been systematically investigated, and the results are compared to 50 GHz, 120 GHz, and 200 GHz SiGe HBT technology generations. An advanced Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination model including tunneling effects is introduced and used to explain the underlying NDR and "hysteresis" mechanisms in these cooled SiGe HBTs. Implications for potential novel device and circuit designs are suggested.

KW - Cryogenic

KW - Heterojunction bipolar transistor

KW - Hysteresis

KW - Low temperature

KW - Negative differential resistance

KW - Shockley-Read-Hall recombination

KW - SiGe HBTs

KW - Silicon-germanium

KW - tunneling

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M3 - Article

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SN - 0038-1101

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JO - Solid-State Electronics

JF - Solid-State Electronics

IS - 6

ER -

Analysis and understanding of unique cryogenic phenomena in state-of-the-art SiGe HBTs

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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