Discussion group summary: Emerging reliability issues in advanced RF SOI technologies for 5G applications

Summary form only given, as follows. The complete presentation was not made available for publication as part of the conference proceedings. This group discussed and brainstormed on the considerations associated with emerging reliability issues in advanced RF Front-End-Modules (FEMs) and highlighted the unique challenges associated with its components. The main part of the discussion was however primarily focused on various aspects of the RF reliability of Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) devices. Strategies and techniques for asses ing the Hate electron effects on the RF perfom1ance degradation were presented in view of the mission profile and the key Figure-of-Merits of the LNA nFETs. Key discussion points for RF reliability of Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs): LNA's device miss ion profile is such that the gate of the transistor is biased with a DC voltage of ~100 mV above its threshold voltage (low gate bias condition) while a DC bias equal to the technology operating voltage, Vdd, is applied to the drain. These DC gate and drain biases are constantly applied during the lifetime of the LNA. Although the hot electron generation at the low gate bias conditions where the LN A nFET operates is known to be lower compared to the generation rate at Vgs-Vds/2 or Vgs-Vds, the influence of the hot electron induced oxide damage on the device characteristics is more pronounced at the lower gate overdrives (Figure 1). Hence, it is critical to carefully characterize the hot carrier effects at the LNA operating bias conditions. The contribution of the small AC signals that are concurrently applied to the gate/drain of the LNA to the device perfom1ance degradation is expected to be limited. This is due to the smaller bias magnitudes as well the lower duty cycle (compared to the DC biases). Hence, an application of the DC gate/drain biases in a scheme consistent with the LNA's device miss ion profile described above is an optimal and practical strategy to assess the impact of the hot electron effects on the LNA's perfom1ance degradation.