Research

9 pages, 2362 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Ku-Band Bi-Directional Transmit and Receive IC in 0.13 μm CMOS Technology

by Jeong-Geun Kim and Donghyun Baek

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(11), 5710; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12115710 - 03 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1516

This paper presents a Ku-band transmit and receive IC in 0.13 µm CMOS technology for mobile satellite communication beamforming systems. A Ku-band transmit and receive IC is composed of a bi-directional amplifier, a 6-bit phase shifter, and a 6-bit digital step attenuator. The [...] Read more.

This paper presents a Ku-band transmit and receive IC in 0.13 µm CMOS technology for mobile satellite communication beamforming systems. A Ku-band transmit and receive IC is composed of a bi-directional amplifier, a 6-bit phase shifter, and a 6-bit digital step attenuator. The precise trimming bits are implemented in the phase shifter (2.8°) and digital step attenuator (0.5 and 1 dB) for the amplitude and phase error correction. The phase variation range of the phase shifter is 360° with a phase resolution of 5.625°. The attenuation range of 31.5 dB with an amplitude resolution of 0.5 dB is achieved. The gain of 2~5 dB and the input/output return losses of >10 dB are achieved from 12 to 16 GHz. The chip size is 2.5 × 1.5 mm² including bonding pads. The DC power consumption is 216 mW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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12 pages, 8567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Full Ka-Band CMOS Amplifier Using Inductive Neutralization with a Flat Gain of 13 ± 0.2 dB

by Byungwook Kim and Sanggeun Jeon

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4782; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12094782 - 09 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2886

Abstract

This paper presents a CMOS wideband amplifier operating in the full Ka-band, with a low gain variation. An inductive neutralization is applied to the amplifier to compensate for the gain roll-off in the high-frequency region. Neutralization inductance is carefully determined considering the tradeoff [...] Read more.

This paper presents a CMOS wideband amplifier operating in the full Ka-band, with a low gain variation. An inductive neutralization is applied to the amplifier to compensate for the gain roll-off in the high-frequency region. Neutralization inductance is carefully determined considering the tradeoff between stability and gain. To achieve a low gain variation over the full Ka-band, the amplifier employs the frequency staggering technique in which impedance matching for three gain stages is performed at different frequencies of 26, 34, and 42 GHz. The experimental results show that a peak gain of 13.2 dB is achieved at 39.2 GHz. The 3 dB bandwidth is from 23.5 to 41.7 GHz, which fully covers the Ka-band. Especially, the gain ripple of the amplifier is only 13 ± 0.2 dB over a wide bandwidth from 26.2 to 40.2 GHz. The input and output return loss values are better than −10 dB from 26.3 to 40.1 GHz and from 25.3 to 50 GHz, respectively. The DC power consumption is 18.6 mW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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7 pages, 2344 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An S/C/X-Band 4-Bit Digital Step Attenuator MMIC with 0.25 μm GaN HEMT Technology

by Jeong-Geun Kim and Kang-Hee Lee

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4717; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12094717 - 07 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1451

Abstract

In this paper, a 4-bit digital step attenuator using 0.25 μm GaN HEMT technology for wideband radar systems is presented. A switched-path attenuator topology with resistive T-type attenuators and double-pole double-throw (DPDT) switches was used to achieve both low insertion loss and phase/amplitude [...] Read more.

In this paper, a 4-bit digital step attenuator using 0.25 μm GaN HEMT technology for wideband radar systems is presented. A switched-path attenuator topology with resistive T-type attenuators and double-pole double-throw (DPDT) switches was used to achieve both low insertion loss and phase/amplitude error. The measured insertion loss of the reference state is 2.8–8.3 dB at DC-12 GHz. The input and output return loss are less than 12 dB at DC-12 GHz. An attenuation coverage of 30 dB with a least significant bit of 2 dB was achieved at DC-12 GHz. A root mean square (RMS) amplitude error of 1 dB and a phase error of 8.5° were achieved, respectively. The attenuator chip size is 2.45 mm × 1.75 mm including pads. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a GaN-based digital step attenuator. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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13 pages, 7366 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A 60 GHz CMOS I/Q Receiver for High-Speed Wireless Communication System

by Ayush Bhatta, Donghyun Baek and Jeong-Geun Kim

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4468; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12094468 - 28 Apr 2022

Viewed by 1701

Abstract

This paper presents a 60 GHz CMOS I/Q receiver for the high-speed wireless communication system. It consists of a low noise amplifier, single-to-differential (S2D) amplifier, passive mixer, buffer amplifier with passive I/Q generator, and wideband baseband amplifier (BBA) stage. The measured conversion gain [...] Read more.

This paper presents a 60 GHz CMOS I/Q receiver for the high-speed wireless communication system. It consists of a low noise amplifier, single-to-differential (S2D) amplifier, passive mixer, buffer amplifier with passive I/Q generator, and wideband baseband amplifier (BBA) stage. The measured conversion gain of 51 dB is achieved. The baseband bandwidth of 300 MHz is achieved from 57 GHz to 60 GHz. The 90° tandem coupler was implemented for I/Q signal generation, which has a phase error of <7° and an amplitude imbalance of <2 dB from 55 to 62 GHz. The Marchand balun is used to convert the I/Q signal to the differential, which has a phase error of <4°. A 60 GHz CMOS I/Q receiver is designed and fabricated, using a commercial 40 nm CMOS bulk process. The size of the receiver is 2.02 × 1.45 mm², including the pads. The circuit is operated from a 0.9 V supply. The power consumption is 172 mW at maximum gain mode. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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12 pages, 3669 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ku-Band CMOS Power Amplifier with Three-Stack Power Stage to Enhance Output Power and Efficiency

by Junhyuk Yang, Jaeyong Lee, Seongjin Jang, Hayeon Jeong, Choulyoung Kim and Changkun Park

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4432; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app12094432 - 27 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1936

Abstract

In this study, we proposed a power amplifier structure with improved efficiency while securing high output power. First, the characteristics of the common-source and stack structures were investigated. In particular, the output power and output impedance characteristics of the stack structure were analyzed [...] Read more.

In this study, we proposed a power amplifier structure with improved efficiency while securing high output power. First, the characteristics of the common-source and stack structures were investigated. In particular, the output power and output impedance characteristics of the stack structure were analyzed compared with the common-source structure. A common-source structure was applied to the driver stage to minimize dc power consumption, and a stack structure was applied to the power stage to ensure high output power. In order to verify the proposed structure, a Ku-band power amplifier was designed using the 65-nm RF CMOS process that provides nine metal layers. At the operating frequency of 15 GHz, saturation output power and maximum power-added efficiency were confirmed to be 22.1 dBm and 17.2%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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15 pages, 2591 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Reliability Evaluation and Lifetime Prediction of 50 GHz Athermal AWG Module

by Kwang-Su Yun, Chong-Hee Yu, Kwon-Seob Lim, Young-Sic Kim and Insu Jeon

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11107; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app112311107 - 23 Nov 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1518

Abstract

A 96-channel (50 GHz-spacing) athermal AWG has been developed. It has a wide operating range due to reduced temperature dependence than conventional AWG. The temperature dependence of the center wavelength of the developed module satisfied the ±0.05 nm range in all channels in [...] Read more.

A 96-channel (50 GHz-spacing) athermal AWG has been developed. It has a wide operating range due to reduced temperature dependence than conventional AWG. The temperature dependence of the center wavelength of the developed module satisfied the ±0.05 nm range in all channels in the temperature range of −40 °C to 85 °C, and the insertion loss variation was also less than ±0.5 dB. As a result of validating its reliability through tests based on Telcordia-GR-1209 and GR-1221, the temperature dependence of the center wavelength satisfied the ±0.022 nm range, and the insertion loss variation was also less than ±0.2 dB. Accelerated life testing showed an expected service life of over 36.7 years, ensuring long-term safety of communication quality in harsh indoor and outdoor environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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10 pages, 6308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Electromagnetic Shielding of Optoelectronic Devices by Mesh Structures

by Mikhal K. Khodzitsky, Vladimir V. Bassarab, Alexey A. Shakhmin, Valentin S. Sokolov and Grigory I. Kropotov

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 9841; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11219841 - 21 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1735

Abstract

In this work, the shielding properties of mesh structures with various cell sizes on a K108 glass substrate are studied. The transmission spectra of the samples were obtained in a frequency range from 1 GHz to 1620 THz. A comparison of the experimental [...] Read more.

In this work, the shielding properties of mesh structures with various cell sizes on a K108 glass substrate are studied. The transmission spectra of the samples were obtained in a frequency range from 1 GHz to 1620 THz. A comparison of the experimental transmission spectra with those obtained using several theoretical models, and a numerical calculation were carried out. The most optimal theoretical model used to describe the shielding properties of a mesh structure in the frequency range upper-bounded by a resonant frequency is the one-mode calculation model. Anti-reflection coatings were used to increase the transmission coefficient of the structures in the visible and near-IR spectral ranges. These mesh structures can be used to shield optoelectronic devices such as a video camera or a laser rangefinder from microwaves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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9 pages, 1901 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design of W-Band GaN-on-Silicon Power Amplifier Using Low Impedance Lines

by Jinho Jeong, Yeongmin Jang, Jongyoun Kim, Sosu Kim and Wansik Kim

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 9017; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11199017 - 28 Sep 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2105

Abstract

In this paper, a high-power amplifier integrated circuit (IC) in gallium-nitride (GaN) on silicon (Si) technology is presented at a W-band (75–110 GHz). In order to mitigate the losses caused by relatively high loss tangent of Si substrate compared to silicon carbide (SiC), [...] Read more.

In this paper, a high-power amplifier integrated circuit (IC) in gallium-nitride (GaN) on silicon (Si) technology is presented at a W-band (75–110 GHz). In order to mitigate the losses caused by relatively high loss tangent of Si substrate compared to silicon carbide (SiC), low-impedance microstrip lines (20–30 Ω) are adopted in the impedance matching networks. They allow for the impedance transformation between 50 Ω and very low impedances of the wide-gate transistors used for high power generation. Each stage is matched to produce enough power to drive the next stage. A Lange coupler is employed to combine two three-stage common source amplifiers, providing high output power and good input/output return loss. The designed power amplifier IC was fabricated in the commercially available 60 nm GaN-on-Si high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) foundry. From on-wafer probe measurements, it exhibits the output power higher than 26.5 dBm and power added efficiency (PAE) higher than 8.5% from 88 to 93 GHz with a large-signal gain > 10.5 dB. Peak output power is measured to be 28.9 dBm with a PAE of 13.3% and a gain of 9.9 dB at 90 GHz, which corresponds to the power density of 1.94 W/mm. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this result belongs to the highest output power and power density among the reported power amplifier ICs in GaN-on-Si HEMT technologies operating at the W-band. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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8 pages, 1130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Millimeter-Wave 4th-Harmonic Schottky Diode Mixer with Integrated Local Oscillator

by José M. Pérez-Escudero, Carlos Quemada, Ramón Gonzalo and Iñigo Ederra

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(16), 7238; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app11167238 - 05 Aug 2021

Viewed by 1691

Abstract

In this paper the design and experimental validation of a fourth-harmonic mixer based on Schottky diodes working around 300 GHz is presented. The main novelty of this work consists in the integration of an MMIC-based local oscillator, working around 75 GHz, and a [...] Read more.

In this paper the design and experimental validation of a fourth-harmonic mixer based on Schottky diodes working around 300 GHz is presented. The main novelty of this work consists in the integration of an MMIC-based local oscillator, working around 75 GHz, and a mixer in the same metallic block housing. A prototype has been characterized using the Y-Factor method and yields a best measured conversion loss and an equivalent noise temperature of 14 dB and 9600 K, respectively. This performance is comparable to the state-of-the-art for this type of mixer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research in Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Components)

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