Exploring Compact Modeling of SiGe HBTs in Sub-THz Range With HICUM

This study delves deeper into the high-frequency (HF) behavior of state-of-the-art sub-THz silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) fabricated with 55 nm BiCMOS process technology from STMicroelectronics. Using measurement data, calibrated TCAD simulations, and compact model simulations, we present a comprehensive methodology for extracting several HF parameters (related to parasitic capacitance partitioning and nonquasi-static effects) of the industry standard model, HICUM. The parameter extraction strategies involve thorough physics-based investigation and sensitivity analysis. The latter allowed us to precisely evaluate the effects of parameter variations on frequency-dependent characteristics. The accuracy of the finally deployed model is tested by comparing the model simulation with measured small-signal two-port parameters of SiGe HBTs up to 330 GHz.