GaAs and SiGec BiCMOS
Cost Comparison – Is SiGec Always Cheaper?
Mark Wilson
Motorola
Semiconductor Products Sector
Technology and
Manufacturing Strategy Office
Phone: 480-413-6046,
FAX: 480-654-5531, Email: Mark.Wilson@motorola.com
Keywords: BiCMOS, CMOS,
GaAs, SiGe, SiGec
Abstract
GaAs has enjoyed a
relatively unchallenged position as the RF semiconductor material of choice for
many RF applications at or above 1GHz, but particularly in RF front-end sockets
for cellular telephones. But, over the past several years SiGec BiCMOS
technology has pushed GaAs out of many of these sockets due to it’s high
performance, high level of integration, and low cost attributes. Will this
trend continue to the power amplifier? Is this technology really cheaper to
develop and manufacture RF product solutions than GaAs? Is SiGec really the RF
technology of the future, or only a short-lived fad to be pushed aside by RF
CMOS? This paper will explore the driving factors behind these questions, and
moreover, explore the product entry and manufacturing cost differences for GaAs
HBT, and SiGec BiCMOS technology.