The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to heterojunction bipolar transistors and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a sub-collector region in a substrate; a collector region above the sub-collector region, the collector region composed of semiconductor material; an intrinsic base region composed of intrinsic base material surrounded by the semiconductor material above the collector region; and an emitter region above the intrinsic base region.

A heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a collector layer, a base layer, and an emitter layer that are stacked on a substrate. The collector layer includes a graded semiconductor layer in which an electron affinity increases from a side closer to the base layer toward a side farther from the base layer. An electron affinity of the base layer at an interface closer to the collector layer is equal to an electron affinity of the graded semiconductor layer at an interface closer to the base layer.

A semiconductor device comprises: an extrinsic base region; a first dielectric spacer on at least a part of a sidewall of the extrinsic base region adjacent to an emitter window region; an intrinsic base region; a base link region coupling the intrinsic base region and the extrinsic base region; a collector region underlying the intrinsic base region and having a periphery underlying the base link region; and a second dielectric spacer, separating the base link region from at least the periphery of the collector region; wherein said second dielectric spacer extends laterally beyond said first dielectric spacer to underlie said emitter window region.

Provided is a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure with a bandgap graded hole barrier layer, including: a sub-collector layer including an N-type group III-V semiconductor on a substrate, a collector layer on the sub-collector layer and including a group III-V semiconductor, a hole barrier layer on the collector layer, a base layer on the hole barrier layer and including a P-type group III-V semiconductor, an emitter layer on the base layer and including an N-type group III-V semiconductor, an emitter cap layer on the emitter layer and including an N-type group III-V semiconductor, and an ohmic contact layer on the emitter cap layer and including an N-type group III-V semiconductor. Bandgaps of the hole barrier layer at least include a gradually increasing bandgap from the base layer towards the collector layer and a largest bandgap of the hole barrier layer is greater than bandgap of the base layer.

A heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a collector layer, a base layer, and an emitter layer that are stacked on a substrate. The collector layer includes a graded semiconductor layer in which an electron affinity increases from a side closer to the base layer toward a side farther from the base layer. An electron affinity of the base layer at an interface closer to the collector layer is equal to an electron affinity of the graded semiconductor layer at an interface closer to the base layer.

One aspect of this disclosure is a power amplifier module that includes a power amplifier on a substrate and a semiconductor resistor on the substrate. The power amplifier includes a bipolar transistor having a collector, a base, and an emitter. The collector has a doping concentration of at least 310.sup.16 cm.sup.3 at an interface with the base. The collector also has at least a first grading in which doping concentration increases away from the base. The semiconductor resistor includes a resistive layer that that includes the same material as a layer of the bipolar transistor. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to an integrated circuit (IC) having a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) device. The HBT device generally includes an emitter region and a collector region. The collector region may include a proton implant region having an edge aligned with an edge of the emitter region. In certain aspects, the HBT device also includes a base region disposed between the emitter region and the collector region.

A bipolar transistor includes a collector layer, a base layer, and an emitter layer that are formed in this order on a compound semiconductor substrate. The emitter layer is disposed inside an edge of the base layer in plan view. A base electrode is disposed on partial regions of the emitter layer and the base layer so as to extend from an inside of the emitter layer to an outside of the base layer in plan view. An insulating film is disposed between the base electrode and a portion of the base layer, with the portion not overlapping the emitter layer. An alloy layer extends from the base electrode through the emitter layer in a thickness direction and reaches the base layer. The alloy layer contains at least one element constituting the base electrode and elements constituting the emitter layer and the base layer.

Provided is a high ruggedness HBT, including a first emitter cap layer and a second emitter cap layer formed between an emitter layer and an ohmic contact layer, or only an emitter cap layer is formed between them. When the first and second emitter cap layers are provided, bandgaps of the first or second emitter cap layer are changed, and the ruggedness of the HBT is improved. When an emitter cap layer is provided, an electron affinity of at least a portion of the emitter cap layer is less than or approximately equal to an electron affinity of the emitter layer, and the ruggedness of the HBT is improved.

Provided is a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure with a bandgap graded hole barrier layer, including: a sub-collector layer including an N-type group III-V semiconductor on a substrate, a collector layer on the sub-collector layer and including a group III-V semiconductor, a hole barrier layer on the collector layer, a base layer on the hole barrier layer and including a P-type group III-V semiconductor, an emitter layer on the base layer and including an N-type group III-V semiconductor, an emitter cap layer on the emitter layer and including an N-type group III-V semiconductor, and an ohmic contact layer on the emitter cap layer and including an N-type group III-V semiconductor. Bandgaps of the hole barrier layer at least include a gradually increasing bandgap from the base layer towards the collector layer and a largest bandgap of the hole barrier layer is greater than bandgap of the base layer.