This informative, new resource presents the first comprehensive treatment of silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors (SiGe HBTs). It offers you a complete, from-the-ground-up understanding of SiGe HBT devices and technology, from a very broad perspective. The book covers motivation, history, materials, fabrication, device physics, operational principles, and circuit-level properties associated with this new cutting-edge semiconductor device technology. Including over 400 equations and more than 300 illustrations, this hands-on reference shows you in clear and concise language how to design, simulate, fabricate, and measure a SiGe HBT. Moreover, the book helps you gain a thorough understanding of the subtle optimization issues and design tradeoffs of SiGe HBTs and RF/microwave circuits built with this technology. The book explains how SiGe HBTs offer the high-performance associated with III-V devices such as GaAs and InP, while preserving the low-cost, high-integration level, high yield, and economy-of-scale benefits of conventional silicon IC manufacturing. You discover why SiGe technology offers a unique solution for 21st century communications IC needs.