EEE 533: Semiconductor Device and

Process Simulation

Spring 2001
Devices Used in RF-Applications
Part - 1
Instructor: Dragica Vasileska
Department of Electrical Engineering
Arizona State University
EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

Section Outline
1. Description of two-port networks on the example of a BJT in a commonbase and common-emitter configurations:
Low-frequency equivalent circuit description
(introduction to z, y and h-parameters)
High-frequency equivalent circuit description
2. Introduction to S-parameters from a transmission-line point of view:
Description of the incident and reflected power
Smith chart
Two-port network S- and T-parameters description and
measurement
3. Modeling of heterostructure devices:
Description of MESFETs, HBTs, HEMTs Why heterojunction
devices versus MESFETs?
Modeling of heterojunction devices using BLAZE
Simulation example: Output characteristics of a HEMT-device
4. Some advanced device concepts for high-speed device applications:
Silicon heteroepitaxy: SiGe BJTs and their modeling

EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

1. Description of two-port networks

The electrical networks can be categorized by the number
of external terminals that are available for measurement
and analysis:
one-port network

two-port network
i2
u1

i1

u2

Most commonly encountered networks in circuit design are

the two-port networks.
EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

 A variety of parameters can be used for the description of

two-port networks, which relate the input and output
currents and voltages:
(A) Hybrid h-parameters - used in the early days of
transistor description (frequencies below 1 MHz):
v1 h11
i = h
2 21

h12 i1
h22 v2

(B) For higher frequencies, a preferred set of parameters

are the the open-circuit z-parameters, the short-circuit
y-parameters and the ABCD-parameters:
v1 z11
v = z
2 21

z12 i1
i1 y11
=
,

z22 i2
i2 y21
v1 A
i = C
1

y12 v1
y22 v2

B v2
D i2

(C) At RF-frequencies, one can only measure the S and Tparameters (that relate the incident to reflected power)
EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

(A) Hybrid h-parameters for BJT

Let us first see what do we mean by a small-signal

analysis:
pB(x)
Minority carrier density in
pB0
the base of a pnp-transistor
for a forward active mode

p0B
0

u
U + u
p BT (0) = p0 B exp EB = p0 B exp EB eb
VT
VT

ueb
ueb
ueb 1 ueb

= p B 0 exp
+
pB0 1 +
+ K pb0 p B 0
VT
VT 2 VT

VT
EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

Next task is to evaluate the BJT h-parameters in a

common-base configuration:
Emitter

ie

hib

ic

Collector

hob
ueb

ucb

hrbucb

hfbie
Base

ueb = hibie + hrbucb

ic = h fbie + hobucb

ueb
U EB
hib =
=
ie u = 0
I E U = const.
CB
cb
i
I
h fb = c
= C
ie u = 0 I E U = const.
cb

CB

ueb
U EB
hrb =
=
ucb i = 0 U CB I = const.
e
E
i
I C
hob = c
=
ucb i = 0 U CB I = const.
e
E

EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

The hib and the hfb-parameters can be related to the

physical device parameters using the Ebers-Moll model for
transistor operation and the definitions of the base transport
factor * and the emitter efficiency :
2

VT
W
*
hib
; h fb = 1 2
2L
IE

PB

1
W
DNE n0 E LPB
1+
tanh

DPB p0 B LNE
LPB

The parameters hrb and hob are a consequence of the

Early effect (base-width modulation effect) and they can be
calculated using:
W dW
VT dW
hrb
; hob I E 2
L dU CB
W dU CB I = const .
PB
I E = const .
E

The parameters in the common-emitter and commoncollector configuration can be related to the ones for the
common-base configuration.
EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

With the addition of the base spreading resistance, one

arrives at the so-called Early equivalent transistor model:
Emitter

ie

ic

Collector

hib = re

ucb

ucb
i e

ueb

hob = gc

rbb

Base

EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

(B) BJT decription at higher frequencies

At larger frequencies, parasitic
capacitance effects start to dominate device behavior. This leads
to the following equivalent circuit
model of the transistor

Ideal
transistor

CBE

CBC

rbb
Let us now consider the
minority carrier distribution in the
base region of the transistor. This
pB ( x )
will give the expression for the
carrier transit time through the
base.
pB02
p W
p
pB01
IE AqDp B01 ; Qp = Aq B01
2
W

Q
p
Q
2
p
Qp W

= tr
Transit time for holes
IE 2Dp
through the base
0

QP

EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

 Let us now consider the expression for the diffusion capacitance of

the emitter:
dQp dIE
dQp

Cde =
=
= tr ge

dUEB U = const . dIE dUEB

CB

Therefore, the input admittance of the circuit is represented as a

parallel combination of ge and Cde, i.e.

ie
ge

Cde

i
0
0 g e
1
c =
=
= () f =
i e ge + jCde 1 + jf / f
2tr

It is common practice to represent the current amplification factor

() and the voltage amplification factor () in dB using:

(dB) = 20 log
(dB) = 20log

3 dB
6 dB/octave

EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

 To accurately calculate the current amplification factor of the

transistor, one also needs to take into account the diffusion capacitance
of the collector Cdc, that is given by:

dQp dW
dQp
2ge
WI E dW

Cdc =
=
=
=

Dp dUCB

dUCB IE = const . dW dUCB
This leads to the following results for the current amplification factor and
cut-off frequency:
j 0.22f / f

W / Lp <<1
2.44Dp
0 e
;
() = sec h
1+ jp (f ) =
1+ jf / f
W2
Lp

For transistors with non-homogeneous base, one has:

jf / f

2.44Dp 4 / 3
0 e
;
() =
1+
2
1+ jf / f
W
2

where the parameter describes the build-in electric field, and v is the
factor describing the excess phase, both of which are calculated using:
= ln(ND 0 / NDW ); = 0.22 + 0.1

EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation

 The equivalent circuit description of the BJT at medium to large

frequencies and in the common-emitter configuration is of the form:

Cbc

rbb

B
g be

g bc
Cbe

gmube

gce

(a) for frequencies f > 4f1, where f1 = gbc/2Cbc, one can ignore gbc and
obtain the following expression for the current amplification factor:
i
g /g
gbe
gm
= c
=
= m be f =
2(Cbe + Cbc )
i b uce = 0 g be + j(Cbe + Cbc ) 1 + jf / f

(b) for frequencies f >> f, gbe becomes negligible, and the current
amplification factor simplifies to:
ic
gm
fT
gm
=
=
= fT =
2(Cbe + Cbc )
i b uce = 0 j(Cbe + Cbc ) jf

EEE 533 Semiconductor Device and Process Simulation