Process technology for submicron BiCMOS VLSI

Submicron BiCMOS is rapidly emerging as the technology of choice for many high-performance VLSI memory and logic applications. Compared to their CMOS counterparts, BiCMOS circuits can be up to a factor of two faster for the same level of technology maturity. Access times below 10 ns are being reported for 0.8- mu m BiCMOS ECL (emitter-coupled logic) input/output 256 K and 1 Mb SRAMs, and 100 K gate arrays are capable of 100-MHz clock rates. Recent advances in submicron BiCMOS device structures and process technology that have made these previously unobtainable performance-density levels possible are reviewed.<>