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  1. Silicon Update Column
    1. October 2001 - New technique raises efficiency of Si emitters (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Silicon Update - New technique raises efficiency of Si emitters. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 9 (October 2001). Researchers are using techniques from the photovoltaics industry to improve the efficiency of silicon-based light emitters and bring their integration into silicon microelectr...
    2. September 2001 - Single crystal oxides help silicon's advance (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Single crystal oxides help silicon's advance. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 8 (September 2001). The ubiquitous Si/SiO2 interface is struggling to meet the demands of shrinking feature sizes in silicon microelectronics. Bob Metzger takes a look at an interesting alternative. While the high qualit...
    3. August 2001 - III-Nitride semiconductor electronics (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Silicon takes the strain for RF applications. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 7 (August 2001). The novel combination of well known processes such as wafer bonding, ion implantation and virtual substrate growth are being brought together by IBM and others to push silicon microelectronics into ne...
    4. July 2001 - Porous silicon enables high-Q inductors (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Porous silicon enables high-Q inductors. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 6 (July 2001). Recent efforts to develop semi-insulating silicon substrates and fabricate high-Q inductors have involved the use of porous silicon structures, writes Bob Metzger. As operating frequency ranges push b ...
    5. June 2001 - AMCC eyes SiGe for 40 Gbit/s parts (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: AMCC eyes SiGe for 40Gbit/s parts. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 5 (June 2001). While some manufacturers have identified indium phosphide as the material of choice for future OC-768 parts, AMCC has already demonstrated silicon germanium products for this market. Bob Metzger and T ...
    6. May 2001 - Designing GaAs HBTs based on silicon (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Designing GaAs HBTs based on silicon. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 4 (May 2001). Bob Metzger describes a patent for a GaP/GaAs HBT emitter and Si base/collector structure. A team of researchers at the National Scientific Corporation (NSC) in Phoenix, Arizona has received a patent...
    7. April 2001 - Quantum cascade lasers light it up (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Quantum cascade lasers light it up. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 3 (April 2001). Bob Metzger describes a recent development in SiGe-based IR quantum cascade lasers. For electronic applications in which performance, cost and system requirements must be taken into account, the silic ...
    8. March 2001 - High Performance CMOS (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: High Performance CMOS. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 7 No. 2 (March 2001). Robert A. Metzger Within the compound semiconductor manufacturing community, it is well recognized that technologies such as SiGe HBTs, Si bipolar and even Si BiCMOS can represent stiff competition for both high speed and RF...
    9. February 2001 - The 2000 International Electron Devices Meeting (Conference) (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: The 2000 International Electron Devices Meeting. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 7 No. 1 (February 2001). ROBERT A. METZGER The International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) held last year in San Francisco from December 10-13, 2000, is the premier venue for both researchers and manufacturers to report the ...
    10. Silicon Update (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Cheap Integrated Power. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 6 No. 8 (November 2000). ROBERT A. METZGER Those in the CMOS community (without access to a BiCMOS process, where the bipolar component offers greater design latitude but at the expense of greater cost) will, when in the company of those in the wirel...
    11. Sept/Oct 2000 - Silicon Update (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: SOI without SOI Substrates. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Volume 6 No. 7 (Sept/Oct 2000). ROBERT A. METZGER Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) is of competitive interest to those in the III-V device community for two principle reasons. The depleted, thin (100 nm) Si layers on a buried oxide (BOX)...
    12. August 2000 - Basic Silicon (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Basic Silicon. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 6 No. 6 (August 2000). ROBERT A. METZGER As RF telecommunications markets continue to grow, competition becomes greater and greater. Not only are GaAs-based products competing with Si-based products, but within the Si arena itself, this same compet...
    13. July 2000 - Silicon Moves in on GaAs Applications (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Silicon Moves in on GaAs Applications. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 6 No. 5 (July 2000). Several new silicon and SiGe product announcements could increase the pressure on GaAs Conexant Announces CDMA RFIC Subsystems Using SiGe Conexant has introduced its first wireless products manufactur...
    14. July 2000 - Silicon Quantum Dot Memories (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Silicon Quantum Dot Memories. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 6 No. 5 (July 2000). ROBERT A. METZGER As any material grower can tell you from personal and painful experience, losing lattice matching during film growth results in a film which is typically useless for device applications. The goal of most...
    15. May/June 2000 - Silicon Update (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Room at the Bottom. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 6 No. 4 (May/June 2000). ROBERT A. METZGER Shrinking the device dimensions in order to improve its performance is as old as the IC industry itself. In the III-V community, this approach has been taken to heart, and the gate lengths of high-performance...
    16. March 2000 - Silicon Phase Shifters (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Silicon Phase Shifters. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 6 No. 2 (March 2000). ROBERT A. METZGER Traditional electronic phase shifters generally rely on GaAs-based MESFETs or PHEMTs - these devices switch between different line lengths, or between high- and low pass- filters to obtain a desired phase...
    17. November/December 1999 - Silicon Telecom (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Silicon Telecom. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 5 No. 9 (November/December 1999). ROBERT A. METZGER We have just obsoleted gallium arsenide and silicon germanium based solutions for the OC-48 market, says Anil Bedi the President and CEO of Newport Communications in reference to their recently announced NP2...
    18. July/August 1999 - CMOS Dual-Band Transceiver (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: CMOS Dual-Band Transceiver. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 5 No. 6 (July/August 1999). ROBERT A. METZGER Billion dollar, state-of-the-art CMOS fabs are currently moving from minimum geometries of 0.25 µm to 0.18 µm, with a few attempting to leapfrog all the way down to 0.12 µm. One...
    19. June 1999 - Breakdown (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Breakdown. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 5 No. 5 (June 1999). One of the perceived drawbacks of Si BJT and SiGe HBT technology is that of low breakdown values of VCEO (collector-emitter breakdown with open base) A case in point is IBM's SiGe BiCMOS 5HP process. This is an extremely fast View the article with search hits highlighted...
    20. May 1999 - Silicon Optoelectronics (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Silicon Optoelectronics. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 5 No. 4 (May 1999). ROBERT A. METZGER There is more to optoelectronics than light emitters. In terms of dollars, there is no doubt that light emitters in the form of LEDs and lasers is the single largest market segment of the III-V marketplace.
    21. March 1999 - Beyond the 2.5 Barrier (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Beyond the 2.5 Barrier. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 5 No. 2 (March 1999). ROBERT A. METZGER The number 2.5 marks an important boundary in the two most important commercial markets for GaAs devices. Wireless local area network (WLAN) bands, operating up to 2.5 GHz, represent the upper bound of the...
    22. January/February 1999 - The Original SOI (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: The Original SOI. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 5 No. 1 (January/February 1999). ROBERT A. METZGER To anyone who has worked exclusively in III-V's, the mention of Silicon on Insulator (SOI) in all liklihood invokes thoughts of a new upstart silicon technology. You probably know the basics.
    23. November 1998 - LDMOS Revitalizes Silicon as a Power Technology (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: LDMOS Revitalizes Silicon as a Power Technology. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 8 (November 1998). ROBERT A. METZGER Many of us who work in GaAs are used to thinking of bipolar silicon as our major competition in RFICs - either in the guise of a slick double-poly device sporting an ft in the 25-50...
    24. October 1998 - IBM Unveils Its New SOI Process (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: IBM Unveils Its New SOI Process. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 7 (October 1998). ROBERT A. METZGER With the PR machine turned on full blast, IBM has announced its new SOI (silicon-on-insulator) process, a technology which IBM describes as being capable of improving chip performance...
    25. August 1998 - On the Ball (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: On the Ball. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 6 (August 1998). Semiconductor start-up is proposing to replace big wafers with small spheres ROBERT A. METZGER The silicon industry is a $150 billion juggernaut, driven by three dictates: pack more transistors into a circuit; push critical...
    26. June 1998 - A Truly Insulating Silicon Substrate (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: A Truly Insulating Silicon Substrate. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 5 (June 1998). ROBERT A. METZGER We all know that one of the strongest selling points in using III-V technology for RF applications is the availability of a highly insulating substrate. Unlike silicon substrates...
    27. May 1998 - If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 4 (May 1998). Robert A. Metzger A repairman with a single tool in his toolbox finds himself in a very precarious situation. There are undoubtedly certain jobs which are well suited to his tool of choice, other jobs...
    28. April 1998 - What Noise Figure Would You Like? (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: What Noise Figure Would You Like?. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 3 (April 1998). ROBERT A. METZGER Both Si and GaAs can provide sufficiently high ft and fmax values ( 20 GHz) to be able to operate in the 850-2400 Mhz range. What then determines which technology is best for a given...
    29. March 1998 - BiCMOS for Communications (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: BiCMOS for Communications. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 2 (March 1998). ROBERT A. METZGER BiCMOS combines the best that Silicon has to offer - the low power digital capabilities inherent to CMOS and the high power capabilities of Bipolar. If communication electronics push to higher levels of...
    30. March 1998 - IBM Demonstrates World's First 1 GHz Microprocessor (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: IBM Demonstrates World's First 1 GHz Microprocessor. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 2 (March 1998). Why is CMOS Winning the Speed Records? On February 4, 1998, engineers at IBM Research announced what they described as the world's first demonstration of a microprocessor that can operate at 1 GHz.
    31. February 1998 - Silicon Stands Out at the 1997 IEDM (Silicon Update)
      • Abstract: Silicon Stands Out at the 1997 IEDM. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 4 No. 1 (February 1998). Robert A. Metzger The International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM) is the traditional forum for presenting state-of-the-art silicon ICs results. The 1997 IEDM, which was held in Washington, DC ...
  2. Cover Stories
    1. November/December 1999 - Materials and Electronics 1990-2000 (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: Materials and Electronics 1990-2000. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 5 No. 9 (November/December 1999). ROBERT A. METZGER The compound semiconductor material systems used in the fabrication of devices and circuits during the 90's can be broadly categorized into two distinct groups. Conventional GaAs- an...
    2. March 1999 - Silicon Germanium as a Commercial Technology (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: Silicon Germanium as a Commercial Technology. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 5 No. 2 (March 1999). ROBERT A. METZGER It has taken about five years longer than anyone expected, but SiGe has, at last, arrived. You can pick up the phone, get a part number, and have a SiGe circuit delivered to your...
    3. March/April 1997 - Epi in R and D: News from the Lab (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: Epi in R&D: News from the Lab. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 3 No. 2 (March/April 1997). Contributions by Robert A. Metzger, Colombo Bolognesi, G.W. Wicks and Marie Meyer GaAs on Silicon - at Last? Efforts to grow GaAs devices on silicon were fairly common in the 1980's. But most of the...
    4. Untitled Document
      • Abstract: Flying High: The Commercial Satellite Industry Converts to Compound Semiconductor Solar Cells. November/December 1996 - al Satellite Industry Converts to Compound Semiconductor Solar Cells (Cover Story)From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 2 No. 6 (November/December 1996). They are still more...
    5. July/August 1996 - Rectifiers: a New Application for GaAs (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: Rectifiers: a New Application for GaAs. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 2 No. 4 (July/August 1996). Fast switching speeds, high voltage capabilities and high temperature operation make GaAs suitable for power processing. ROBERT A. METZGER and MARIE MEYER When the non-optoelectronic applications for...
    6. May/June 1996 - DVD Laser Diodes (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: DVD Laser Diodes. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 2 No. 3 (May/June 1996). Decreasing laser diode wavelengths from 780 nm to 650-635 nm greatly enhances data storage capacity for audio, video and computer applications ROBERT A. METZGER The use of AlGaAs/GaAs-based infrared laser diodes operating at...
    7. May/June 1996 - Ultraviolet Detectors (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: Ultraviolet Detectors. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 2 No. 3 (May/June 1996). The same physical properties which make GaN and its related materials suitable as UV emitters also make them suitable for UV detectorsROBERT A. METZGER Detection of light in the ultraviolet (wavelength...
    8. March/April 1996 - The Capabilities of InP-Based Electronics and Optoelectronics (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: The Capabilities of InP-Based Electronics and Optoelectronics. March/April 1996 - The Capabilities of InP-Based Electronics and Optoelectronics (Cover Story). From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 2 No. 2 (March/April 1999). Is there a place for InP in a GaAs-dominated compound semiconductor world?
    9. January/February 1996 - Advances in Epitaxial Growth and Device Performance (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: Advances in Epitaxial Growth and Device Performance. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 2 No. 1 (January/February 1996). Epitaxial growth is the engine for improvement in device performance for both electronics and optoelectronics. ROBERT A. METZGER Epitaxial growth and device performance go...
    10. November/December 1995 - Is Silicon Germanium the New "Material of the Future"? (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: Is Silicon Germanium the New "Material of the Future". November/December 1995 - Is Silicon Germanium the New "Material of the Future" (Cover Story). From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 1 No. 3 (November/December 1995). R&D groups are fabricating some very impressive HBTs from SiGe. However,...
    11. September/October 1995 - Cutting the Cord (Cover Story)
      • Abstract: Cutting the Cord. From Compound Semiconductor Magazine Issue 1 No. 2 (September/October 1995). Wireless communications are freeing analog GaAs from reliance on low-volume military markets. ROBERT A. METZGER Since the creation of the first radar systems in the mid-1930's the microwave and millimeter wave fields have...




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