Hot carrier effects in Si-SiGe HBTs

Life tests were performed at room temperature on Si-SiGe HBTs by reverse biasing the base-emitter junction under open collector conditions. The effects on the DC, the low-frequency noise, and the microwave characteristics were investigated both by the analysis of experimental data and by simulations and analytical models. The stress-induced surface damage close to the emitter perimeter was identified to be the degradation mechanism mainly responsible for the variations observed, in all the investigated parameters.