An InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) with a continuous conduction-band structure is demonstrated and theoretically investigated. This device exhibited good performance including lower turn-on voltage, lower offset voltage and smaller collector current saturation voltage. The novel aspect of device structure design is the adoption of the compositionally linear-graded AlGaAs layer between the InGaP-emitter and GaAs-base layers. Therefore, the device studied shows better dc and ac performances than a conventional device. Consequently, this causes the substantial benefit for practical analog and digital applications especially for lower operation voltage, lower power consumption commercial and military products. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.