New Developments in SiGe HBT Reliability for RF Through mmW Circuits

This paper reviews current progress in our understanding of the reliability of SiGe HBTs and the circuits built from them, including: 1) fundamental understanding of the multiple operative damage mechanisms, 2) the differences between DC and RF reliability, 3) the path to predictive reliability-aware compact models, and 4) the concept of Circuit-Safe Operating Area (C-SOA), which offers a better benchmark for understanding reliability-imposed constraints on circuits and systems.