GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor device and IC technology for high-performance analog and microwave applications

GaAs-AlGaAs n-p-n heterojunction bipolar transistor (GaAs HBT) technology and its application to analog and microwave functions for high-performance military and commercial systems are discussed. In many applications the GaAs HBT offers key advantages over the alternative advanced silicon bipolar and III-V compound field-effect-transistor (FET) approaches. TRW's GaAs HBT device and IC fabrication process, basic HBT DC and RF performance, examples of applications, and technology qualification work are presented and serve as a basis for addressing general capability issues. A related 3-μm emitter-up, self-aligned HBT IC process provides excellent DC and RF performance, with simultaneous gain-bandwidth product, f_T, and maximum frequency of oscillation, f_max, of approximately 20-40 GHz and DC current gain β≈50-100 at useful collector current densities ≈3-10 kA/cm², early voltage ≈500-1000 V, and MSI-LSI integration levels. These capabilities facilitate versatile DC-20-GHz analog/microwave as well as 3-6 Gb/s digital applications, 2-3 G sample/s A/D conversion, and single-chip multifunctions with producibility