Sub-THz Characterization and Transient TCAD Modeling of SiGe HBTs: Collector Profile Optimization for Power Amplifiers

IF 3.6 2区工程技术 Q2 ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC

IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices Pub Date : 2026-09-01 Epub Date: 2026-09-07 DOI:10.1109/TED.2026.3716197

Arnab Saha;Raphaël Strenaer;Thomas Zimmer;Philippe Cathelin;Alexis Gauthier;Nicolas Guitard;Nathalie Deltimple;Sébastien Fregonese

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive study of silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) characterized up to 500 GHz, addressing the modeling challenges and design tradeoffs required for sub-THz power amplifier (PA) applications. We report broadband S-parameter measurements from 1 to 500 GHz, large-signal (LS) 3-GHz harmonic-balance measurements, alongside DC Gummel and output characteristics, for STMicroelectronics’ B55X technology node. These measurements are used to calibrate a computationally efficient quasi-2D technology computer-aided design (TCAD) model, showing excellent agreement across the frequency spectrum. Addressing the convergence limitations of conventional harmonic balance (HB) solvers under high-power conditions, we propose a robust LS simulation methodology utilizing transient analysis coupled with discrete Fourier transform (DFT). This methodology is applied to investigate the impact of modulating the collector region on the PA figures of merit (FoMs). By modulating the collector doping, we demonstrate the tradeoffs between breakdown voltage, linearity, and power added efficiency (PAE), identifying optimal doping profiles for next-generation sub-THz amplification.

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SiGe HBTs的亚太赫兹特性和瞬态TCAD建模：功率放大器集电极轮廓优化

本文介绍了一项特性高达500 GHz的硅锗（SiGe）异质结双极晶体管（HBT）的全面研究，解决了亚太赫兹功率放大器（PA）应用所需的建模挑战和设计权衡。我们为意法半导体的B55X技术节点报告了1至500 GHz的宽带s参数测量，大信号（LS） 3 GHz谐波平衡测量，以及直流Gummel和输出特性。这些测量用于校准计算效率高的准二维技术计算机辅助设计（TCAD）模型，在整个频谱上显示出出色的一致性。针对传统谐波平衡（HB）求解器在高功率条件下的收敛局限性，我们提出了一种利用瞬态分析与离散傅立叶变换（DFT）相结合的鲁棒LS仿真方法。该方法用于研究调制集电极区域对PA值（FoMs）的影响。通过调制集电极掺杂，我们展示了击穿电压、线性度和功率附加效率（PAE）之间的权衡，确定了下一代亚太赫兹放大的最佳掺杂谱。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 工程技术-工程：电子与电气

CiteScore

5.80

自引率

16.10%

发文量

937

审稿时长

3.8 months

期刊介绍： IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices publishes original and significant contributions relating to the theory, modeling, design, performance and reliability of electron and ion integrated circuit devices and interconnects, involving insulators, metals, organic materials, micro-plasmas, semiconductors, quantum-effect structures, vacuum devices, and emerging materials with applications in bioelectronics, biomedical electronics, computation, communications, displays, microelectromechanics, imaging, micro-actuators, nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, power ICs and micro-sensors. Tutorial and review papers on these subjects are also published and occasional special issues appear to present a collection of papers which treat particular areas in more depth and breadth.