The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 03, 2007
Filed:
Dec. 08, 2004
Fernando Guarin, Millbrook, NY (US);
J. Edwin Hostetter, Jr., Pleasant Valley, NY (US);
Stewart E. Rauch, Iii, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
Ping-chuan Wang, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
Zhijian J. Yang, Stormville, NY (US);
Fernando Guarin, Millbrook, NY (US);
J. Edwin Hostetter, Jr., Pleasant Valley, NY (US);
Stewart E. Rauch, III, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
Ping-Chuan Wang, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
Zhijian J. Yang, Stormville, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method for recovery of degradation caused by avalanche hot carriers is provided that includes subjecting an idle bipolar transistor exhibiting avalanche degradation to a thermal anneal step which increases temperature of the transistor thereby recovering the avalanche degradation of the bipolar transistor. In one embodiment, the annealing source is a self-heating structure that is a Si-containing resistor that is located side by side with an emitter of the bipolar transistor. During the recovering step, the bipolar transistor including the self-heating structure is placed in the idle mode (i.e., without bias) and a current from a separate circuit is flown through the self-heating structure. In another embodiment of the present, the annealing step is a result of providing a high forward current (around the peak fT current or greater) to the bipolar transistor while operating below the avalanche condition (V″of less than 1 V). Under the above conditions, about 40% or greater of the degradation can be recovered. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the thermal annealing step may include a rapid thermal anneal (RTA), a furnace anneal, a laser anneal or a spike anneal.