K4 - SiGe BiCMOS Technology with Advanced Integration Solutions for for mm-wave and THz Applications

Abstract

In last decade, SiGe BiCMOS technologies open a new cost-efficient market first at mm-wave frequencies, then at sub-THz and THz range. Starting with the commercial use of automotive radars at 77 GHz, and the demand for 120/140 GHz radars, the market now has a strong interest on low-cost silicon based technologies for such high frequencies. The driving force behind the BiCMOS is not anymore only radar applications but also 5G/6G communication systems, operating at 60, 140 or even 240/300 GHz. Furthermore, the strong need on the driving circuitries of photonics components has created a mass market of high speed communication circuitries. The latest developments on SiGe HBTs with fmax of beyond 700 GHz boosts the research and development effort on circuit and system area to take share from the new markets. In parallel to the developments on SiGe HBT performance, “More-than- Moore” path, which covers all the additional functionalities to the standard CMOS process (i.e. MEMS devices, microfluidics, photonics, etc…), allows to realize multi-functional circuits and systems. Heterogeneous integration as a key and enabler technology for the multi-functional systems has also great importance these days. Hetero integration of different technologies such as high scaled CMOS, SiGe BiCMOS or even III-V ones has become real. Such integration of multi-chip technologies provides the highest performance with the most efficient size and power consumption; thus paves the way for next generation smart systems integration. In this talk, approaches used for the integration of different More-than-Moore modules into a BiCMOS process will be presented. New hetero-integration technologies and corresponding challenges will be discussed.