COMMERCIAL HETEROJUNCTION BIPOLAR-TRANSISTOR PRODUCTION BY MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY

We have developed the first commercial heterojunction bipolar transist or (HBT) production line based on GaAs-AlGaAs-InGaAs HBT material grow n by molecular beam epitaxy. We have demonstrated sustained high-yield production of HBT integrated circuits for commercial applications usi ng molecular beam epitaxy growth and processing techniques originally developed for high-reliability applications. TRW HBT parts such as cel lular power amplifiers, digital radio chip sets, Darlington gain block s, and analog-to-digital convertors are now inserted in high volume co mmercial products such as cellular phones, local area networks, and di gital oscilloscopes. HBT monolithic microwave integrated circuits allo w these products to achieve functions and performance never before ava ilable for consumer applications. (C) 1996 American Vacuum Society.