Stress current behavior of InAlAs/InGaAs and AlGaAs/GaAs HBT's with polyimide passivation

InAlAs/InGaAs and AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs, with heavily Be-doped base layers, have been fabricated and their reliability under excessive forward current tested. To understand the HBT material difference, a common process based on a polyimide planarization method is applied to the fabrication. While short-term degradation induced by stress current is observed for AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs, InAlAs/InGaAs HBTs are stable up to a current density of 1.5*10/sup 5/ A/cm/sup 2/, indicating the absence of substantial Be diffusion. An analysis of base current has shown a striking contrast between the HBTs in terms of the stressing effect on the surface recombination along emitter junction periphery.< >