Restabilizing mechanisms after the onset of thermal instability in bipolar transistors

The electrothermal behavior of single- and two-finger bipolar transistors at medium- and high-current operations is studied through theoretical modeling, experimental measurements, and computer simulations. Bias conditions that border thermally stable and unstable operation regimes are described by novel analytical formulations, which for the first time include simultaneously all relevant parameters that weaken the electrothermal feedback at high currents such as ballasting resistors, current dependence of the base-emitter-voltage temperature coefficient, and high-injection effects. Hence, besides giving a correct description of thermal instability mechanisms, the developed formulations also allow the prediction and physical understanding of restabilization phenomena. The models are supported by measurements on silicon-on-glass n-p-n bipolar junction transistors and by simulation results from a novel SPICE-based electrothermal macromodel for bipolar transistors. Furthermore, the models are employed to analyze the influence of the germanium percentage in the base of SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors on the thermal ruggedness of the device.