This award supports the PI, Juin Liou, and two graduate students from the University of Central Florida in a collaboration with Frank Schwierz of the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering at the Technical University of Ilmenau, Germany. The research focus is on the modeling, simulation, fabrication, and reliability of a new and promising semiconductor device called the heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). The new transistor has a very high switching speed and superior current-handling abilities, and is ideal for use in high-frequency, high-speed, high-current applications such as frequency mixers and power amplifiers operating in the microwave range. The U.S. group has extensive experience in the analytical modeling of HBTs under steady and transient operations, and the German group specializes in the development of simulators for predicting HBT behavior under varying circumstances. The combined expertise will result in a significant advancement in knowledge of HBT behavior and improved HBT devices.
