Search

Epitaxy is a key process for group IV semiconductor device fabrication. For precisely-controlled fabrication of steep profiles for high performance devices, lowering the thermal budget of the epitaxy process is getting increasingly important. In this paper, we review group IV heteroepitaxy processes used at IHP and their application. In particular, we present SiGe HBT devices using low-temperature Si2H6 based epitaxy process and discuss potential advantages compared to standard SiH4 based process. Additionally, we show a growth technique for high-quality Ge photodiodes with several cycles of annealing by interrupting the Ge growth (cyclic annealing) followed by HCl etching. Furthermore, we discuss the device performance of SiGe/Si multi-quantum well (MQW) microbolometers and a technique to improve the quality of SiGe/Si MQW structures by introducing C delta layer at interface.

A complete circularly polarized 210–270-GHz frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar with a monostatic homodyne architecture is presented. It consists of a highly integrated radio-frequency transceiver module, an in-house developed linear-frequency chirp generator, and a data acquisition chain. The radar front end featuring a fundamentally operated $\times$16 multiplier-chain architecture is realized as a single chip in 0.13-$\mu$ m SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor technology with a lens-coupled circularly polarized on-chip antenna and wire-bonded on a low-cost printed circuit board. In combination with a 9-mm-diameter silicon lens, the module achieves an average in-band directivity of 26.6 dB. The measured peak radiated power from the packaged radar module is $+$5 dBm and the noise figure is 21 dB. For a 60-GHz frequency sweep, the radar achieves a range resolution of 2.57 mm after calibration, which is close to the theoretical bandwidth-limited resolution of 2.5 mm. With a simple scanning optical setup, this paper further demonstrates the 3-D imaging capability of the radar for detection of hidden objects with a remarkable dynamic range of around 50 dB.

An overview of the SiGe technologies used at Infineon Technologies for radar applications will be given. The production of bare-die chips started in 2009 using the bipolar technology B7HF200. Since 2012 packaged MMICs in an embedded wafer level ball grid array (eWLB) are available. Process challenges and solutions for radar chips in an eWLB package are presented. Examples of commercial SiGe radar chips in production are shown. Furthermore Infineon's next generation BiCMOS technology B11HFC with fT of 250 GHz and fmax of 370 GHz is described. In addition, significant improvements of the cut-off frequencies can be achieved by replacing the currently used double-poly self-aligned configuration by a more advanced SiGe HBT architecture like IHP's transistor module with selective base link epitaxy. The capability of this transistor cell for future BiCMOS generations was demonstrated by integrating it into Infineon's 130 nm CMOS process. A transistor performance with fmax of 500 GHz was achieved.

The "More Than Moore" approach is targeting on diversification by combining different technologies based on a reasonable scaling level. Here, SiGe BiCMOS technology acts as the baseline process for the integration of modules increasing the functionality and by this way enlarging the spectrum for embedded system applications. In this paper we focus on the monolithic integration approach of MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) into the back-end-of-line (BEOL) of the Si process, and of optical components to combine electronics and photonics (Si Photonics).

In this paper, we discuss the impact of germanium and carbon on the diffusion of common dopants in Si-based alloys. We review results of various diffusion experiments and discuss the basic physical mechanisms of the observed changes of diffusion coefficients as a function of alloy composition. Results of boron and phosphorus marker layer diffusion experiments are presented for binary Si1-xGex and Si1-yCy and ternary Si1-x-yGexCy alloys.

AbstractAn alternative residual ion removal concept for the ITER neutral beam system is presented. It consists of magnetic deflection of the residual ions to in-line ion dumps. The target plates are hit from one side and form a 0.5-m-wide opening to the beam. First calculations show that for the most severe case of a 3-mrad beam, the maximum power load can be kept below 15 MW/m2, using a different horizontal focal length. However, this different beamlet optic increases the beam peak power density changing the plasma deposition profile and increasing the shine-through power during low-density operation. First calculations showed that using a passive screening, the additional stray field created by the magnet could be kept below the required 1 gauss within the neutralizer. The overall beamline transmission increases by ~10% (i.e., an additional 1.7-MW injected power for each beamline for a 3-mrad beam) due to the open structure of the magnet and the ion dumps. Furthermore, the concept offers a larger operating window regarding beam alignment, divergence, steering, and transmission, and it avoids creating accelerated secondary electrons.

Epitaxy is a key process for group IV semiconductor device fabrication. For precisely-controlled fabrication of steep profiles for high performance devices, lowering the thermal budget of the epitaxy process is getting increasingly important. In this paper, we review group IV heteroepitaxy processes used at IHP and their application. In particular, we present SiGe HBT devices using low-temperature Si2H6based epitaxy process and discuss potential advantages compared to standard SiH4based process. Additionally, we show a growth technique for high-quality Ge photodiodes with several cycles of annealing by interrupting the Ge growth (cyclic annealing) followed by HCl etching. Furthermore, we discuss the device performance of SiGe/Si multi-quantum well (MQW) microbolometers and a technique to improve the quality of SiGe/Si MQW structures by introducing C delta layer at interface.

An overview of the SiGe technologies used at Infineon Technologies for radar applications will be given. The production of bare-die chips started in 2009 using the bipolar technology B7HF200. Since 2012 packaged MMICs in an embedded wafer level ball grid array (eWLB) are available. Process challenges and solutions for radar chips in an eWLB package are presented. Examples of commercial SiGe radar chips in production are shown. Furthermore Infineon’s next generation BiCMOS technology B11HFC with fTof 250 GHz and fmaxof 370 GHz is described. In addition, significant improvements of the cut-off frequencies can be achieved by replacing the currently used double-poly self-aligned configuration by a more advanced SiGe HBT architecture like IHP’s transistor module with selective base link epitaxy. The capability of this transistor cell for future BiCMOS generations was demonstrated by integrating it into Infineon’s 130 nm CMOS process. A transistor performance with fmaxof 500 GHz was achieved.

The “More Than Moore” approach is targeting on diversification by combining different technologies based on a reasonable scaling level. Here, SiGe BiCMOS technology acts as the baseline process for the integration of modules increasing the functionality and by this way enlarging the spectrum for embedded system applications. In this paper we focus on the monolithic integration approach of MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) into the back-end-of-line (BEOL) of the Si process, and of optical components to combine electronics and photonics (Si Photonics).

Different technological implementations of high-speed SiGe HBTs are compared which all represent a performance level of fmaxclose to 500 GHz. In addition to technologies with non-selective base epitaxy, a fully self-aligned emitter-base architecture with selective base epitaxy is considered. Fabrication details, DC and RF characteristics of these approaches are examined side by side in order to establish likenesses and differences of their high-frequency potential.

We describe a scenario for FEOL integration of photonic components such as wave-guides and Ge photodiodes in a 200 GHz SiGe:C HBT BiCMOS process. We focus on two essential integration aspects. First, a novel, local-SOI approach is introduced which allows us to fabricate SOI-based photonic structures in a bulk BiCMOS environment. It is demonstrated in particular that the BiCMOS yield is not impaired by this approach. Second, we will show that the additional thermal budget of photodiode fabrication can seriously degrade BiCMOS devices parameters. We will offer a route to prevent that. These results pave the way for a new, modular photonic BiCMOS process.

In this paper, we discuss the impact of germanium and carbon on the diffusion of common dopants in Si-based alloys. We review results of various diffusion experiments and discuss the basic physical mechanisms of the observed changes of diffusion coefficients as a function of alloy composition. Results of boron and phosphorus marker layer diffusion experiments are presented for binary Si1-xGexand Si1-yCyand ternary Si1-x-yGexCyalloys.