High performance silicon bipolar technology

Abstract

For over two decades silicon bipolar technology has been the dominant high performance technology for commercial IC applications. While alternative technologies such as GaAs and Josephson have demonstrated performance superior to silicon bipolar, silicon bipolar is itself presently on a very steep learning curve with ECL performance of under 100ps demonstrated at a number of laboratories around the world(1-8). Recently ECL speeds under 50 ps have been demonstrated (9) and projections to 25 ps and below will undoubtedly be realized in the near future. Corresponding simple inventor delays of under 10 ps and base transit times of under 5 ps will require new techniques for measurement and characterization.