High-temperature DC characteristics of Al_xGa_0.52-x In_0.48P/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy

A series of Al_xGa_0.52-xIn_0.48P/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT's) with x=0 to x=0.52 showed ideality factors close to unity for both base current and collector current and small variation in gain with temperature up to at least T=623 K across the whole range of x composition. Hole current injection from the base into the emitter in these devices was shown to be negligible. The current gain, β, which is temperature insensitive was thought to be limited by bulk base recombination for x⩽0.3 and recombination at the graded emitter region for x>0.3. The optimum emitter composition (highest β, and good β stability with collector current and temperature) was found to be x=0.18-0.30. Useful transistor action with very high gain and output resistance is possible up to at least T=623 K, limited only by the thermal performance of the unoptimized ohmic contacts employed in the devices