Proton tolerance of third-generation, 0.12 m 185 GHz SiGe HBTs

Abstract-We present results on the impact of proton irradiation on the dc and ac characteristics of third-generation, 0.12 m 185 GHz SiGe HBTs. Comparisons with prior technology generations are used to assess how the structural changes needed to enhance performance between second and third generation technology couple to the observed proton response. The results demonstrate that SiGe HBT technologies can successfully maintain their a Mrad-level total dose hardness, without intentional hardening, even when vertically-scaled in order to achieve unprecedented levels of transistor performance

Recent Results on SEU Hardening of SiGe HBT Logic Circuits

A viewgraph presentation on SEU tolerant SiGe HBT technology is shown. The topics include: 1) Introduction; 2) TID and SEU in SiGe Technology; 3) RHBD Techniques; 4) Experiment; 5) Heavy-Ion Data and Analysis; and 6) Summary

Design of High-Speed SiGe HBT BiCMOS Circuits for Extreme Environment Applications

The objective of this work is to investigate the suitability of applying silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) technology to extreme environments and to design high-speed circuits in this technology to demonstrate their reliable operation under these conditions. This research focuses on exploring techniques for hardening SiGe HBT digital logic for single event upset (SEU) based on principles of radiation hardening by design (RHBD) as well as on the cryogenic characterization of SiGe HBTs and designing broadband amplifiers for operation at cryogenic temperatures. Representative circuits ranging from shift registers featuring multiple architectures to broadband analog circuits have been implemented in various generations of this technology to enable this effort.Ph.D.Committee Chair: Cressler, John; Committee Member: Kornegay, Kevin; Committee Member: Laskar, Joy; Committee Member: Morley, Thomas; Committee Member: Papapolymerou, Joh

SiGe BiCMOS Precision Voltage References for Extreme Temperature Range Electronics

Abstract — We present the first investigation of the optimal implementation of SiGe BiCMOS precision voltage references for extreme temperature range applications (+120 oC to-180 oC and below). We have developed and fabricated two unique Ge profiles optimized specifically for cryogenic operation, and for the first time compare the impact of Ge profile shape on precision voltage reference performance down to-180 oC. Our best case reference achieves a 28.1 ppm / oC temperature coefficient over +27 oC to-180 oC, more than adequate for the intended lunar electronics applications. Index Terms — analog circuits, SiGe HBT, cryogenic temperature, voltage reference, device physics