This paper reviews the reliability problems of compound semiconductor transistors for microwave applications. These devices suffer from specific failure mechanisms, which are related to their limited maturity, with the exception of the GaAs MESFETs, which exhibit a stable technology and an assessed reliability. The metallizations employed in high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) already benefit from this assessment. However, HEMT are affected by concerns related to hot carriers and impact ionization. The trapping of carriers and the generation of defects in the different layers are responsible for the observed instabilities. The stability of the base dopant is the main reliability concern for heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). Beryllium outdiffuses from the base into the emitter and causes device degradation. Carbon has a lower diffusivity, but is affected by the presence of hydrogen, which prompts gain variations. Finally the hot carriers reliability concern in SiGe HBTs is briefly reviewed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reliability physics of compound semiconductor transistors for microwave applications / Borgarino, Mattia; R., Menozzi; D., Dieci; L., Cattani; Fantini, Fausto. - In: MICROELECTRONICS RELIABILITY. - ISSN 0026-2714. - STAMPA. - 41:1(2001), pp. 21-30. [10.1016/S0026-2714(00)00206-7]

Reliability physics of compound semiconductor transistors for microwave applications

BORGARINO, Mattia;FANTINI, Fausto
2001

Abstract

This paper reviews the reliability problems of compound semiconductor transistors for microwave applications. These devices suffer from specific failure mechanisms, which are related to their limited maturity, with the exception of the GaAs MESFETs, which exhibit a stable technology and an assessed reliability. The metallizations employed in high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) already benefit from this assessment. However, HEMT are affected by concerns related to hot carriers and impact ionization. The trapping of carriers and the generation of defects in the different layers are responsible for the observed instabilities. The stability of the base dopant is the main reliability concern for heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs). Beryllium outdiffuses from the base into the emitter and causes device degradation. Carbon has a lower diffusivity, but is affected by the presence of hydrogen, which prompts gain variations. Finally the hot carriers reliability concern in SiGe HBTs is briefly reviewed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
2001
41
1
21
30
Reliability physics of compound semiconductor transistors for microwave applications / Borgarino, Mattia; R., Menozzi; D., Dieci; L., Cattani; Fantini, Fausto. - In: MICROELECTRONICS RELIABILITY. - ISSN 0026-2714. - STAMPA. - 41:1(2001), pp. 21-30. [10.1016/S0026-2714(00)00206-7]
Borgarino, Mattia; R., Menozzi; D., Dieci; L., Cattani; Fantini, Fausto
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

Licenza Creative Commons
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNIMORE sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono rilasciati con licenza Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale (CC BY 4.0), salvo diversa indicazione.
In caso di violazione di copyright, contattare Supporto Iris

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11380/612393
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 28
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 25
social impact