Low-frequency noise characteristics of self-aligned AlGaAs/GaAs HBT's with a noise corner frequency below 3 kHz

We have investigated the surface recombination and its 1/f noise properties of AlGaAs/GaAs HBT's as a function of the emitter-base structure and the surface passivation condition. It is found that the surface recombination 1/f noise can be significantly reduced by the heterojunction launcher of the abrupt junction with 30% Al mole fraction emitter. The depleted AlGaAs ledge surface passivation further suppresses the surface recombination currents. Consequently, we have achieved a very low 1/f noise corner frequency of 2.8 kHz at the collector current density of 10 kA/cm(2). The dominant noise source of the HBT is not a surface recombination current, but a bulk current noise. This is the lowest 1/f noise corner frequency among the III-V compound semiconductor devices, and comparable to those of low-noise Si BJT's.