Disclosed is an improved semiconductor structure (e.g., a silicon germanium (SiGe) hetero-junction bipolar transistor) having a narrow essentially interstitial-free SIC pedestal with minimal overlap of the extrinsic base. Also, disclosed is a method of forming the transistor which uses laser annealing, as opposed to rapid thermal annealing, of the SIC pedestal to produce both a narrow SIC pedestal and an essentially interstitial-free collector. Thus, the resulting SiGe HBT transistor can be produced with narrower base and collector space-charge regions than can be achieved with conventional technology.

Embodiments provide a method for manufacturing a bipolar junction transistor, comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a buried layer of a first conductive type; doping the semiconductor substrate in a collector implant region, to obtain a collector implant of the first conductive type extending parallel to a surface of the semiconductor substrate and from the surface of the semiconductor substrate to the buried layer; providing a base layer of a second conductive type on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the base layer covering the collector implant; providing a sacrificial emitter structure on the base layer, wherein a projection of an area of the sacrificial emitter structure is enclosed by an area of the collector implant; and partially counter doping the collector implant through an area of the base layer surrounding an area of the base layer that is covered by the sacrificial emitter structure.

Systems and methods are disclosed for integrating functional components of front-end modules for wireless radios. Front-end modules disclosed may be dual-band front-end modules for use in 802.11ac-compliant devices. In certain embodiments, integration of front-end module components on a single die is achieved by implementing a high-resistivity layer or substrate directly underneath, adjacent to, and/or supporting SiGe BiCMOS technology elements.

One aspect of this disclosure is a power amplifier module that includes a power amplifier, a semiconductor resistor, a tantalum nitride terminated through wafer via, and a conductive layer electrically connected to the power amplifier. The semiconductor resistor can include a resistive layer that includes a same material as a layer of a bipolar transistor of the power amplifier. A portion of the conductive layer can be in the tantalum nitride terminated through wafer via. The conductive layer and the power amplifier can be on opposing sides of a semiconductor substrate. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof.

Methods according to the present disclosure include: providing a substrate including: a first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region, and a trench isolation (TI) laterally between the first and second semiconductor regions; forming an epitaxial layer on at least the first semiconductor region of the substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer includes a first semiconductor base material positioned above the first semiconductor region of the substrate; forming an insulator region on at least the first semiconductor base material, the trench isolation (TI), and the second semiconductor region; forming a first opening in the insulator over the second semiconductor region; and growing a second semiconductor base material in the first opening, wherein a height of the second semiconductor base material above the substrate is greater than a height of the first semiconductor base material above the substrate.

One aspect of this disclosure is a power amplifier module that includes a power amplifier configured to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal and an RF transmission line electrically coupled to an output of the power amplifier. The power amplifier includes a heterojunction bipolar transistor and a p-type field effect transistor, in which a semiconductor portion of the p-type field effect transistor corresponds to a channel includes the same type of semiconductor material as a collector layer of the heterojunction bipolar transistor. The RF transmission line includes a nickel layer with a thickness that is less than 0.5 um, a conductive layer under the nickel layer, a palladium layer over the nickel layer, and a gold layer over the palladium layer. Other embodiments of the module are provided along with related methods and components thereof.