Self-Heating Characterization and Mitigation in Advanced RF Transistor Technologies

Self-heating has become a critical issue as transistor dimensions shrink, even in low-power devices. The talk reviews on-wafer thermal characterization techniques and design strategies for minimizing self-heating effects in advanced RF transistor architectures, with emphasis on reliability and performance optimization. Because nanoscale devices have nanosecond thermal time constants, RF characterization is essential for accurate modeling. Existing thermal models in industrial PDKs are described, along with potential improvements. Finally, design techniques to reduce self-heating and thermal crosstalk are demonstrated using Fully Depleted SOI MOSFETs.