How SiGe evolved into a manufacturable semiconductor production process

Over the last 10+ years, silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) BiCMOS technology has matured from laboratory research efforts to become a 50/65 GHz f/sub T//f/sub max/ silicon-based 0.5 /spl mu/m BiCMOS production technology. This progress has extended silicon-based production technology into the multi-GHz and multi-Gbit/s range. This opens up an array of wireless and wired circuit and network applications and markets. SiGe circuits are now being designed in the same application space as GaAs MESFETs and HBTs, and offer the yield, cost, stability and manufacturing advantages associated with conventional silicon fabrication.

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