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IEEE Microwave and Guided Wave Letters
Volume 10 Number 11, November 2000

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On the Effects of Hot Carriers on the RF Characteristics of Si/SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors

M. Borgarino, J. G. Tartarin, J. Kuchenbecker, T. Parra, H. Lafontaine, T. Kovacic, R. Plana and J. Graffeuil

Page 466.

Abstract:

This contribution for the first time experimentally investigates the hot carrier effects on the RF characteristics (up to 30 GHz) of Si/SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBT's). Reverse base-emitter voltage stresses were applied at room temperature on BiCMOS compatible, sub-micron transistors. The main observed degradation is a decrease of S21 . It was found that this degradation is minimized (maximized) when biasing at constant collector (base) current. These results may be valuable indications also for degradations induced by ionizing radiations.

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