GaAs HBT PA module design for CDMA handsets

DESIGN AND SIMULATION OF A GaAs HBT POWER AMPLIFIER FOR WIDEBAND CDMA WIRELESS SYSTEM

SiGe-based Power Amplifier for CDMA Handset Circuitry

Technical progress in bringing SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology to reality has been exceptionally rapid. The first functional SiGe HBT was demonstrated in December 1987, only fifteen years ago. In this fifteen years, since the first demonstration of a functional transistor, SiGe HBT technology has emerged from the research laboratory, entered manufacturing on 200-mm wafer...

Commercial Viability of a Merged HBT-FET (BiFET) Technology for GaAs Power Amplifiers

This paper covers the history and recent developments of GaAs BiFETs in commercial high volume GaAs HBT manufacturing environment. Further more, the paper also goes into “merged/stacked” FET-HBT integration schemes and their impacts on cost, yield and cycle time. Various circuit applications such as stage bypassing, attenuators, advanced bias circuit controls etc., that are realized in both BiF...

Identification of Humidity Related Failure Mechanisms in GaAs Based HBT’s

Humidity related failure mechanisms in GaAs based HBT power amplifiers have been investigated. Both electrical and photoemission techniques are used to characterize and identify the degradation of the base-collector junction. Moisture penetration to the HBT surface reduces the junction breakdown voltage and can lead to catastrophic short failure. Observation of biased side emission from cross-s...

Will CMOS Amplifiers Ever Kick-GaAs? (Invited)

In this paper, we present a discussion and comparison of CMOS and GaAs HBT technologies for handset power amplifiers. Our perspective is unique to other comparisons in that we actually have products in both technologies. To understand the application space where each of these technologies makes sense, we discuss current and near-term PA requirements as well as technology and technology support ...