Special Technology Area Review on Silicon Germanium Technology
Abstract
The DoD has been assessing technologies that have potential for decreasing the cost of its systems by leveraging the commercial world. For this reason, Working Group A (Microwaves) and Working Group B (Microelectronics) of the DoD Advisory Group on Electron Devices (AGED) held a Special Technology Area Review (STAR) on January 19, 1994 in the area of silicon/germanium (Si/Ge) electronic devices. Subsequently a mini-STAR was held on June 14, 1995, to provide an update to the January, 1994, information. A report on the 1995 mini--STARR is included as an addendum to this report. For the most part Si/Ge devices offer the promise of utilizing cost-effective standard silicon (Si) processing capable of leading to affordable Si/Ge components in volume quantity. However, unlike most standard Si technology% higher performance Si/Ge technology could prove cost- effective in those DoD microwave frequency speed microelectronics applications that require less than the highest performance available, say from Si/Ge. The future cost of Si/Ge parts is a complicated issue, but it is a current belief that the principal benefit of Si/Ge technology will be low cost coupled with "better than silicon" performance in other words, potentially a higher-than-silicon performance return for each DOD dollar invested). The future of Si/Ge is closely tied to unresolved infrastructure issues and, if industry fails to address these issues (for example, the development of critically lacking Si/Ge infrastructure production tools) the future merchant market might constrain Si/Ge to a niche technology role.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 10, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA448766
Entities
Organizations
- Office Of The Under Secretary Of Defense