On the Challenges of SiGe HBTs in Advanced BiCMOS Technology Toward Half THz f_MAX

Abstract

Advanced BiCMOS technology employing SiGe HBTs is a cost-effective candidate for a wide range of exciting applications including automotive radar and 5G wireless communications. In this paper, results from two experimental studies are presented in an advanced 90nm SiGe BiCMOS technology in production. One experiment reduces the collector-base capacitance, while the other reduces base resistance. Both experiments achieved 300GHz fT and met or exceeded the 360GHz fMAX goal of the technology. Furthermore, results from a series of experiments are also reviewed in this paper, showing paths toward SiGe HBTs of half THz fMAX and fT around 300 GHz, based on the same 90nm SiGe BiCMOS technology.

Review of recent progress on solid‐state millimeter‐wave and terahertz signal sources

“…86 Yet, advanced commercial SiGe BiCMOS HBT processes which integrate both HBT transistors with CMOS devices have demonstrated a peak f max reaching up to half THz. 87 More recently, the f max HBTs has been further boosted to 0.8 THz operating at 4.3 K. 67 The extracted f T /f max of SiGe HBT against the year of production are provided in Figure 2, 86 showing a steady improvement over decades. Such an improvement makes fully integrated THz systems highly potential since THz operation by SiGe HBTs are complex, yet energy-efficient digital signal processing (DSP) can be concurrently performed in a single chip.…”

“…Yet, advanced commercial SiGe BiCMOS HBT processes which integrate both HBT transistors with CMOS devices have demonstrated a peak f max reaching up to half THz 87 . More recently, the f max HBTs has been further boosted to 0.8 THz operating at 4.3 K 67 .…”