Aspects of the disclosure provide an integrated circuit (IC) structure with a bipolar transistor stack within a substrate. The bipolar transistor stack may include: a collector, a base on the collector, and an emitter on a first portion of the base. A horizontal width of the emitter is less than a horizontal width of the base, and an upper surface of the emitter is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of the substrate. An extrinsic base structure is on a second portion of the base of the bipolar transistor stack, and horizontally adjacent the emitter. The extrinsic base structure includes an upper surface above the upper surface of the substrate.