Critical passivation ledge thickness in AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors

Journal Article · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.586729· OSTI ID:6488630

Liu, W; Harris, Jr, J S ^[1]

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1. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

Npn AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) are fabricated to examine the critical passivation ledge thickness needed to prevent current gain degradation due to extrinsic base surface recombination current. The current gains of these molecular-beam epitaxially grown HBTs with Be-doped base layers are measured as the passivation ledge is gradually etched away. Experimental results indicate that partial passivation is achieved with a ledge thickness of 300 [angstrom] and a maximum current gain is measured with a ledge thickness of 900 [angstrom]. The ideality factor values of the base currents at various etch depths are also examined and compared with published results. 18 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 6488630
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena; (United States) Vol. 11:1; ISSN JVTBD9; ISSN 0734-211X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104 -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
360601* -- Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
42 ENGINEERING
426000 -- Engineering-- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits-- (1990-)
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
DATA
EPITAXY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FABRICATION
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HETEROJUNCTIONS
INFORMATION
JUNCTIONS
LAYERS
NUMERICAL DATA
PASSIVATION
PNICTIDES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
TRANSISTORS