中国物理B ›› 2023, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (9): 98503-098503.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/acaa28

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Temperature dependence of single-event transients in SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors for cryogenic applications

Xiaoyu Pan(潘霄宇)1,2, Hongxia Guo(郭红霞)2,†, Yahui Feng(冯亚辉)3, Yinong Liu(刘以农)1, Jinxin Zhang(张晋新)4, Jun Fu(付军)5, and Guofang Yu(喻国芳)5   

  1. 1 The Key Laboratory of Particle and Radiation Imaging, Ministry of Education, Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
    2 State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Radiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an 710024, China;
    3 School of Material Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China;
    4 School of Aerospace Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, China;
    5 School of Integrated Circuits, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • 收稿日期:2022-09-21 修回日期:2022-11-30 接受日期:2022-12-09 发布日期:2023-08-23
  • 通讯作者: Hongxia Guo E-mail:guohxnint@126.com
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61704127 and 11775167).

Temperature dependence of single-event transients in SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors for cryogenic applications

Xiaoyu Pan(潘霄宇)1,2, Hongxia Guo(郭红霞)2,†, Yahui Feng(冯亚辉)3, Yinong Liu(刘以农)1, Jinxin Zhang(张晋新)4, Jun Fu(付军)5, and Guofang Yu(喻国芳)5   

  1. 1 The Key Laboratory of Particle and Radiation Imaging, Ministry of Education, Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
    2 State Key Laboratory of Intense Pulsed Radiation Simulation and Effect, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi'an 710024, China;
    3 School of Material Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China;
    4 School of Aerospace Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an 710126, China;
    5 School of Integrated Circuits, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • Received:2022-09-21 Revised:2022-11-30 Accepted:2022-12-09 Published:2023-08-23
  • Contact: Hongxia Guo E-mail:guohxnint@126.com
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61704127 and 11775167).

摘要: We experimentally demonstrate that the dominant mechanism of single-event transients in silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) can change with decreasing temperature from +20 ℃ to -180 ℃. This is accomplished by using a new well-designed cryogenic experimental system suitable for a pulsed-laser platform. Firstly, when the temperature drops from +20 ℃ to -140 ℃, the increased carrier mobility drives a slight increase in transient amplitude. However, as the temperature decreases further below -140 ℃, the carrier freeze-out brings about an inflection point, which means the transient amplitude will decrease at cryogenic temperatures. To better understand this result, we analytically calculate the ionization rates of various dopants at different temperatures based on Altermatt's new incomplete ionization model. The parasitic resistivities with temperature on the charge-collection pathway are extracted by a two-dimensional (2D) TCAD process simulation. In addition, we investigate the impact of temperature on the novel electron-injection process from emitter to base under different bias conditions. The increase of the emitter-base junction's barrier height at low temperatures could suppress this electron-injection phenomenon. We have also optimized the built-in voltage equations of a high current compact model (HICUM) by introducing the impact of incomplete ionization. The present results and methods could provide a new reference for effective evaluation of single-event effects in bipolar transistors and circuits at cryogenic temperatures, and could provide a new evidence of the potential of SiGe technology in applications in extreme cryogenic environments.

关键词: SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors, pulsed laser, TCAD simulation, single-event transient

Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate that the dominant mechanism of single-event transients in silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs) can change with decreasing temperature from +20 ℃ to -180 ℃. This is accomplished by using a new well-designed cryogenic experimental system suitable for a pulsed-laser platform. Firstly, when the temperature drops from +20 ℃ to -140 ℃, the increased carrier mobility drives a slight increase in transient amplitude. However, as the temperature decreases further below -140 ℃, the carrier freeze-out brings about an inflection point, which means the transient amplitude will decrease at cryogenic temperatures. To better understand this result, we analytically calculate the ionization rates of various dopants at different temperatures based on Altermatt's new incomplete ionization model. The parasitic resistivities with temperature on the charge-collection pathway are extracted by a two-dimensional (2D) TCAD process simulation. In addition, we investigate the impact of temperature on the novel electron-injection process from emitter to base under different bias conditions. The increase of the emitter-base junction's barrier height at low temperatures could suppress this electron-injection phenomenon. We have also optimized the built-in voltage equations of a high current compact model (HICUM) by introducing the impact of incomplete ionization. The present results and methods could provide a new reference for effective evaluation of single-event effects in bipolar transistors and circuits at cryogenic temperatures, and could provide a new evidence of the potential of SiGe technology in applications in extreme cryogenic environments.

Key words: SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors, pulsed laser, TCAD simulation, single-event transient

中图分类号:  (Bipolar transistors)

  • 85.30.Pq
61.80.Az (Theory and models of radiation effects) 73.40.Lq (Other semiconductor-to-semiconductor contacts, p-n junctions, and heterojunctions) 75.40.Mg (Numerical simulation studies)