A method for HBT process control and defect detection using pulsed electrical stress

A method for on-wafer reliability characterisation of HBT processes is deve loped to reveal lifetime deficiencies. Lifetime limiting defects can be gen erated to investigate the lifetime quality by applying Transmission Line Pu lses (TLP) to the device. Very high current densities can be used to shorte n the time of electrical defect generation, while the pulse length is short compared to the thermal time constant of the device. Current and voltage o f impulse response and subsequent DC I/V measurements are used for device c haracterisation between each step of stress which consists of ct variable p ulse quantity. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.