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A SiGe HBT technology featuring f T /f max /BV CEO =300GHz/ 500GHz/1.6V and a minimum CML ring oscillator gate delay of 2.0 ps is presented. The speed-improvement compared to our previous SiGe HBT generations originates from lateral device scaling, a reduced thermal budget, and changes of the emitter and base composition, of the salicide resistance as well as of the low-doped collector formation.

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The conduction process as well as the unipolar resistive switching behavior of Au∕HfO2∕TiN metal-insulator-metal structures were investigated for future nonvolatile memory applications. With current-voltage measurements performed at different temperatures (200–400K), the Poole–Frenkel effect as conduction process was identified. In particular, we extracted a trap energy level at ϕt=0.35±0.05eV below the HfO2 conduction band to which a microscopic origin is tentatively assigned. From current-voltage measurements of Au∕HfO2∕TiN structures, low-power (as low as 120μW) resistive switching was observed. The required forming process is shown to be an energy-induced phenomenon. The characteristics include electric pulse-induced resistive switching by applying pulses up to 100μs and a retention time upon continuous nondestructive readout of more than 104s.

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We demonstrate for the first time the embedded integration of a Radio Frequency Microelectromechanical Systems (RF-MEMS) capacitive switch for mm-wave integrated circuits in a BiCMOS Back-end-of-line (BEOL). The switch shows state-of-the-art performance parameters. The ¿off¿ to ¿on¿ capacitance ratio is 1:10 providing excellent isolation in the mm-wave frequency range. Insertion loss and isolation are found to fall below 1.65 dB and to exceed 15 dB, respectively, in the frequency range of 60 GHz to 110 GHz. Feasibility of switch integration into single chip RF designs is demonstrated for a dual-band voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). No performance degradation was observed after ten billion hot-switching cycles

A standard complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) process is successfully modified to encompass the preparation of suspended TiN membranes of only 50 nm thickness from one of the metal layer stacks of the back‐end flow. The layers’ elastomechanical constants are determined with high precision by laser Doppler vibrometry. Residual stress gradients are compensated and a state of moderate tensile strain is introduced into the membranes. Test systems of TiN beams and bridges operating in a capacitive coupling scheme are optimized for the low voltage range attainable with CMOS devices. TiN actuators are particularly suited for applications in biotechnology like sensing of pressure or viscosity in microfluidic devices due to their high corrosion resistance in liquid electrolyte surroundings. The established inclusion of the process in a CMOS pilot line enables the production of cheap and monolithically integrated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and bio‐microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) devices.