Photo carrier generation in bipolar transistors

Anomalous substrate currents have been observed in SiGe bipolar NPN-transistors, dependent on the collector bias, at high current levels. These currents appear to originate from light that is generated in the collector base junction when it is reverse biased. This light generates electron hole pairs in the n/sup +/ buried layer-substrate diode, yielding a considerable substrate current. This paper will show that these substrate currents can be used as a useful monitor for the occurrence of avalanche multiplication and high-level injection (Kirk effect) in heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs).