Silicon-Germanium (SiGe)

Semiconductor alloy for ultra-high-frequency CMOS circuits.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Embedded SiGe has strained silicon transistor channels to boost carrier mobility in mainstream CMOS since the 90 nm node in the early 2000s.
• SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors reach operating frequencies above 500 GHz, serving automotive radar and millimetre-wave links.
• SiGe thermoelectric couples powered the radioisotope generators of NASA's Voyager probes, still running after nearly five decades.

Specifications & Metrics

• DENSITY: 4.00 g/cm³ (Si₀.₈Ge₀.₂)
• YIELD STRENGTH: N/A
• HARDNESS: N/A