Source: New Electronics.

    A powerful European consortium is setting out with the objective of developing 0.5THz silicon/germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors.

    The DOTFIVE project, which is being led by STMicroelectronics, hopes to develop the devices needed for future millimeter wave and terahertz communication, radar, imaging and sensing applications.

    The three year DOTFIVE project is worth €14.75million, with €9.7m coming from the EC. This makes it the largest ¡®More than Moore¡¯ nanoelectronics project running within the EU¡¯s Framework Programme 7.

    DOTFIVE is aiming to establish a leadership position for the European semiconductor industry in the area of SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for millimeter wave applications. ¡°With this ambitious project,¡± said Gilles Thomas, DOTFIVE project coordinator and STMicroelectronics R&D Cooperative Programs Manager, ¡°Europe is getting ahead of the rf roadmap defined in ITRS, strengthening its position in an area where the whole ecosystem is already strong.¡±

    Emerging high volume millimeter wave applications include 77GHz automotive radar applications and 60GHz wireless lan systems. In addition to these evolving markets, DOTFIVE technology sets out to be a key enabler for imaging systems with applications in the security, medical and scientific sectors.

    Current SiGe HBTs have a maximum operating frequency of 300GHz at room temperature. DOTFIVE is looking to boost this to 500GHz, previously thought to require III-V compound semiconductors.

    The project involves 15 partners from industry and academia in five countries. Infineon and STMicroelectronics are joined by research institutes IMEC and IHP. Meanwhile, XMOD Technologies and GWT-TUD will provide parameter extraction and rf device modeling expertise. Academic partners include the Johannes Kepler University of Linz, ENSEIRB, Paris-Sud University, Technical University of Dresden, Bundeswehr University, University of Siegen and the University of Naples.

    More about DOTFIVE.