Silicon : germanium-based mixed-signal technology for optimization of wired and wireless telecommunications

The need to serve the explosion in data bandwidth demand for fixed and mobi le applications has driven transistor performance requirements beyond the r each of conventional silicon devices. Scaling limits of silicon-based bipol ar transistors have been encountered, confining further performance gains b y traditional means, but cost considerations favor the continued use of sil icon-derived technology solutions. Silicon: germanium (Si:Ge) heterojunctio n bipolar transistors (HBTs) and subsequent generations of highly integrate d SiGe BICMOS processes stem from long-term efforts initiated at IBM to dev elop such a silicon-derived technology. This paper reviews the application- driven origins of this SiGe technology, how it has evolved, and how limits to conventional silicon bipolar scaling have enhanced its adoption in the s emiconductor industry. Examples of the entry of this technology into commer cial applications in the wired and wireless marketplace are discussed.