An on-chip SiGe HBT characterization circuit for use in self-healing RF systems

An on-chip device characterization circuit that extracts the current gain of a SiGe HBT test transistor, and which can be useful in the context of various “self-healing” RF circuits and systems, is presented. The characterization circuit includes built-in temperature compensation that enables accurate measurement of the current gain of the test device over a wide temperature range. The device characterization circuit can also be used to measure variations in the current gain of the test device due to process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations, as well as other phenomena that can potentially degrade performance.