VLSI integration of SiGe epitaxial base bipolar transistors

This paper presents the state of the art concerning integrated Si/Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs), with special emphasis on what are the real strong points of the device, once integration constraints have been accounted for. A review of some representative technologies is given, with a tentative classification according to the tradeoff which has been chosen between performance, integrability and process complexity. Examples of low-cost integration of SiGe HBTs in an industrial BiCMOS technology are provided as an illustration.

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