Characteristics of radio frequency integrated circuits and device reliability in horizontal current bipolar transistor technology

doctoral thesis

• Title (croatian): Karakteristike radiofrekvencijskih integriranih sklopova i pouzdanost elemenata u tehnologiji bipolarnog tranzistora s horizontalnim tokom struje
• Author: Josip Žilak
• Mentor: Tomislav Suligoj (mentor)
• Committee member: Tomislav Suligoj (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing; (Department of Electronics, Microelectronics, Computer and Intelligent Systems); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2017, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: TECHNICAL SCIENCES; Computing; Architecture of Computer Systems
• Universal decimal classification (UDC): 621.3 - Electrical engineering

Abstract

The Horizontal Current Bipolar Transistor (HCBT) technology, as an example of the low-cost BiCMOS (bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology, is capable of meeting the requirements of the radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). The suitability of the HCBT technology for the RFIC is demonstrated by the mixer and divider design, highlighting the HCBT as the low-cost and low-power solution with the competitive electrical characteristics. The double-balanced downconversion active mixer, as an example of RF front-end circuit, is designed. The fabricated high-linearity mixers (e.g., peak IIP3 and conversion gain of 30.3 dBm and 6.0 dB are measured for the 900 MHz input, respectively) have characteristics comparable to the characteristics of the commercial mixers targeted for the wireless communication circuits and overall wireless infrastructure. The static digital and analog dynamic divide-by-two frequency dividers, as the simple circuits, are designed demonstrating the HCBT suitability for the frequency range up to 35 GHz. In order to optimize the HCBT technology, the impact of the several technological parameters on the electrical characteristics and circuit performance is investigated. The measurement setup for both the on-wafer and packaged HCBT circuit verification is developed. The HCBT technology reliability is analyzed by employing the reverse-bias emitter-base and mixed-mode stress tests. The degradation mechanisms are investigated by the measurements and simulations. The different damage locations and carrier type responsible for the degradation under both stress tests are identified giving the technological guidelines for the HCBT reliability improvement.

Abstract (croatian)

Projektiranjem sklopova frekvencijskih mješala i djelila pokazana je prikladnost tehnologije bipolarnog tranzistora s horizontalnim tokom struje (HCBT) za projektiranje radiofrekvencijskih integriranih sklopova. Demonstrirano je dvostruko balansno aktivno mješalo s translacijom u niže frekvencijsko područje. Ostvarene karakteristike mješala, popust mjere za linearnost IIP3=30.3 dBm i dobitka konverzije CG=6.0 dB, za frekvenciju ulaznog signala od 0.9 GHz, usporedive su s karakteristikama komercijalnih mješala. Projektirana djelila, digitalno statičko i analogno dinamičko s faktorima dijeljenja dva, pokazuju mogućnost rada HCBT-a na frekvencijama do 35 GHz. S ciljem optimizacije HCBT tehnologije, istražen je utjecaj pojedinih tehnoloških parametara na električne karakteristike i karakteristike sklopova. Pouzdanost HCBT tehnologije analizirana je primjenom stresa reverzno polariziranog spoja baza-emiter i mixed-mode stresa. Mjerenjima i simulacijama istraženi su mehanizmi degradacije. Utvrđene su različite lokacije oštećenja i tip nosilaca odgovornih za degradaciju tijekom oba stres testa, što daje smjernice za povećanje pouzdanosti HCBT tehnologije.Znanstveni doprinosi:1. Projektiranje, procesiranje i karakterizacija sklopova frekvencijskih mješala i djelila za primjene u bežičnim komunikacijama u tehnologiji bipolarnog tranzistora s horizontalnim tokom struje (HCBT).2. Procjena utjecaja kritičnih tehnoloških koraka na karakteristike HCBT elemenata i sklopova.3. Određivanje fizikalnih mehanizama degradacije električkih karakteristika HCBT-a mjerenjima i simulacijama primjenom stresnih testova.4. Optimizacija tehnoloških parametara HCBT-a za poboljšanje pouzdanosti i visokofrekvencijskih svojstava sklopova.

• Keywords: Horizontal Current Bipolar Transistor (HCBT); RFIC design; double-balanced downconversion active mixer; high-linearity mixer; divide-by-two divider; device reliability; reverse-bias emitter-base stress; mixed-mode stress
• Keywords (croatian): bipolarni tranzistor s horizontalnim tokom struje (HCBT); projektiranje radiofrekvencijskih integriranih sklopova; dvostruko-balansno aktivno mješalo s translacijom u niže frekvencijsko područje; visoko-linearno mješalo; statičko digitalno djelilo s faktorom dijeljenja dva; regenerativno dinamičko djelilo s faktorom dijeljenja dva; pouzdanost bipolarnih tranzistora; stres reverzno polariziranog spoja baza-emiter; mixed-mode stres
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:168:980460
• Study programme: Title: Electrical Engineering and Computing; Study programme type: university; Study level: postgraduate; Academic / professional title: Doktor znanosti elektrotehnike i računarstva (Doktor znanosti elektrotehnike i računarstva)
• Type of resource: Text
• Extent: 159 str. ; 30 cm.
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Closed access
• Created on: 2019-04-05 15:15:06