On the Extraction of Accurate Non-Quasi-Static Transistor Models for EEE-Band Amplifier Design: Learning From the Past (original) (raw)

Physics- and process-based bipolar transistor modeling for integrated circuit design

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 1999

Many applications require circuits to be operated close to the performance limits of current silicon (production) processes to meet the required circuit specifications for, e.g., high speed, low noise, and low power consumption. Therefore, the circuits must be carefully optimized by selecting the individual transistor configurations. As a consequence, model parameters for a large variety of configurations (100 or more) are often requested. Unfortunately, most present design tools and modeling methods do not support an efficient generation of the respective parameter sets for bipolar compact models. This paper describes an approach that is physics and process based; facilitates an extremely fast generation of consistent model parameter sets, even during the initial phase of process development; and reduces parameter extraction efforts significantly. This allows one to quickly explore various process options in advance and to align process development with circuit product requirements. The approach is supported by a computer-aided-design tool named TRADICA, which can be combined with circuit simulators allowing the emitter size and number of emitter, base, and collector contacts to be the only model parameters visible to designers. Related modeling and parameter extraction issues are also discussed because these areas are often unknown to and tend to be underestimated by circuit designers and process developers but have a significant impact on the flexibility, capability, and accuracy of circuit design.

MOS transistor modeling for RF IC design

IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, 2000

The design of radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuits (ICs) in deep-submicron CMOS processes requires accurate and scalable compact models of the MOS transistor that are valid in the GHz frequency range and beyond. Unfortunately, the currently available compact models give inaccurate results if they are not modified adequately. This paper presents the basis of the modeling of the MOS transistor for circuit simulation at RF. A physical and scalable equivalent circuit that can easily be implemented as a Spice subcircuit is described. The small-signal and noise models are discussed and measurements made on a 0.25µm CMOS process are presented that validate the RF MOST model up to 10GHz.

An Improved Transistor Modeling Methodology Exploiting the Quasi-Static Approximation

IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society

In this paper, a new modeling technique is proposed for extracting small-signal lumpedelement equivalent-circuit models for microwave transistors. The proposed procedure is based on using an optimization approach that is improved by targeting a quasi-static behavior as additional objective function rather than only minimizing the error between the simulated and measured scattering parameters. The validity of the developed modeling methodology is successfully demonstrated by considering a 0.25x1000 μm 2 gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) as a case study. INDEX TERMS GaN HEMT, non-quasi-static effects, scattering parameter measurements, semiconductor device modeling, silicon carbide substrate.

A Review of Physics-based Modeling of Millimeter-Wave Transistors

IEEE, 2023

In this work, a review of millimeter-wave transistors modeling is presented. The physics-based modeling approaches are studied and their advantages over the empirical models are demonstrated. Physics-based models account for the physical phenomena that affect the performance of millimeter-wave devices at high frequencies. Electromagnetic-wave propagation effects and non-linear operations are incorporated in physicsbased models utilizing appropriate numerical strategies. This makes the modeling approaches predictive over a broad frequency range, under both small-and large-signal analyses and regardless of the device size. Conventional electrode configurations for millimeter-wave transistors are also studied in this work to illustrate the importance of pad layout design in attaining suitable functionality. The necessity of accounting for the device width limitations is also discussed in this work and the transmission line theory is emphasized as a useful tool to address the challenges at higher operating frequencies.

Advances in Linear Modeling of Microwave Transistors

IEEE Microwave Magazine, 2009

H eterojunction fi eld effect transistors (HFET) based on gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) and metal semiconductor fi eld effect transistors (MESFETs) based on silicon carbide (SiC) are the preferred transistors for high-power amplifi er circuit designs rather than MESFETs, high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) and pseudomorphic HEMTs based on gallium arsenide (GaAs) or indium phosphide (InP) semiconductor technology. While AlGaN/GaN and SiC are good candidates for high-power applications, GaAs and InP semiconductor technologies are the preferred transistors in low-power, low-voltage, and low-noise applications .

Microwave Transistor Modeling for Time Domain Simulation

High frequency models of transistors are of interest because they have applications to computer aided design of high frequency circuits. When these models are derived, a problem encountered is that measured transistor S-parameters do not agree with the hybrid-π model. In this article, a simplified method is described to obtain an optimized classical hybrid-π model that predicts the measured S-parameters of the device across the desired frequency band. The modeling capabilities of the CAD program Touchstone (now is incorporated with ADS) were utilized to create such a transistor model. The optimization goal is to minimize the error function between the measured S-parameters and those of the RF transistor equivalent circuit. This technique has been implemented to obtain a high frequency circuit model for the RF transistor BFY 90 across the band from 100 MHz to 500 MHz. Such a model can be used in time-domain circuit analysis programs to predict the transistor behavior.

A scalable advanced RF IC design‐oriented MOSFET model

International Journal of …, 2008

This article presents a validation of the EKV3 MOSFET compact model dedicated to the design of analogue/RF ICs using advanced CMOS technology. The EKV3 model is compared with DC, CV and RF measurements up to 20 GHz of a 110 nm CMOS technology. The scaling behaviour over a large range of channel lengths and bias conditions is presented. Long-channel devices show significant non-quasi static effects while in short-channel devices the parasitics modelling is critical. This is illustrated with Y-parameters and ft vs. ID in NMOS and PMOS devices, showing good overall RF modelling abilities of the EKV3 MOSFET model. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2008.

MOSFET Modeling for RF IC Design

IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 2005

High-frequency (HF) modeling of MOSFETs for radio-frequency (RF) integrated circuit (IC) design is discussed. Modeling of the intrinsic device and the extrinsic components is discussed by accounting for important physical effects at both dc and HF. The concepts of equivalent circuits representing both intrinsic and extrinsic components in a MOSFET are analyzed to obtain a physics-based RF model. The procedures of the HF model parameter extraction are also developed. A subcircuit RF model based on the discussed approaches can be developed with good model accuracy. Further, noise modeling is discussed by analyzing the theoretical and experimental results in HF noise modeling. Analytical calculation of the noise sources has been discussed to understand the noise characteristics, including induced gate noise. The distortion behavior of MOSFET and modeling are also discussed. The fact that a MOSFET has much higher "low-frequency limit" is useful for designers and modelers to validate the distortion of a MOSFET model for RF application. An RF model could well predict the distortion behavior of MOSFETs if it can accurately describe both dc and ac small-signal characteristics with proper parameter extraction.

A computationally efficient physics-based compact bipolar transistor model for circuit Design-part I: model formulation

IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 2000

A compact bipolar transistor model was presented in Part I that combines the simplicity of the SPICE Gummel-Poon model (SGPM) with some major features of HICUM. The new model, called HICUM/L0, is more physics-based and accurate than the SGPM but at the same time, from a computational point of view, suitable for simulating large circuits. In Part II, a parameter determination procedure is described and demonstrated for a variety of SiGe process technologies.