Fabrication and Characterization of Self-aligned InAlAs/InGaAsSb/InGaAs Double Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors

Abstract

A trilevel resist system was employed to fabricate self-aligned, submicron emitter finger In0.52Al0.48As/In0.42Ga0.58As0.77Sb0.23/ In0.53Ga0.47As double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs). Selective wet-etchants were used to define the emitter fingers and to form an InGaAs guard-ring around the emitter fingers. Due to the low energy bandgap of the InGaAsSb base layer and type II base-collector junction, a low turn-on voltage of 0.38 V at 1 A/cm2 and a high dc current gain of 123.8 for a DHBT with a 0.65 × 8.65 μm2 emitter area were obtained. A unity gain cut-off frequency (fT) of 260 GHz and a maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) of 485 GHz at JC = 302 kA/cm2 were achieved.