Silicon Carbide BJT Oscillator Design Using S-Parameters

Radio frequency (RF) oscillator design typically requires large-signal, high-frequency simulation models for the transistors. The development of such models is generally difficult and time consuming due to a large number of measurements needed for parameter extraction. The situation is further aggravated as the parameter extraction process has to be repeated at multiple temperature points in order to design a wide-temperature range oscillator. To circumvent this modelling effort, an alternative small-signal, S-parameter based design method can be employed directly without going into complex parameter extraction and model fitting process. This method is demonstrated through design and prototyping a 58 MHz, high-temperature (HT) oscillator, based on an in-house 4H-SiC BJT. The BJT at elevated temperature (up to 300 0C) was accessed by on-wafer probing and connected by RF-cables to the rest of circuit passives, which were kept at room temperature (RT).