DC and RF breakdown voltage characteristics of SiGe HBTs for WiFi PA applications

Breakdown voltage and RF characteristics relevant for RF power amplifiers (PA) are presented in this paper. Typically, DC collector-to-emitter breakdown voltage with base open (BV
_CEO
) or DC collector-to-base breakdown with emitter open (BV
_CBO
) has been presented as the metric for voltage limit of PA devices. In practical PA circuits, the RF envelope voltage can swing well beyond BV
_CEO
without causing a failure. An analysis of output power swing limitations and DC breakdown is presented with attention to biasing and temperature.