25 nm InP HEMT LNAs and Receiver

Technology for the TWICE Instrument

6-15-2016

William R. Deal, Pekka Kangaslahti*, Alex Zamora, Erich Schlecht*,

Kevin Leong, Gerry Mei, Sean Shih, and Steven C. Reising**

Presented by Bill Deal

Northrop Grumman, Jet Propulsion Laboratory*

and Colorado State University**

Outline

•  Outline

•  Motivation

•  670 GHz Receiver Update

•  230-390 GHz Update

•  Conclusion

2

TWICE Receiver Overview

•  Three millimeter/submillimeter wave receivers on instrument

•  Two receivers implemented in recently available 25 nm InP HEMT –  660-680 GHz dual direct detection receivers (two orthogonal polarizations) –  230-390 GHz broadband receiver

•  This talk provides an overview of progress of these two receivers

3

Motivation

Scaling enables significantly enhanced performance

– 25 nm gatelength – fmax: 1.5 THz – fT: 0.61 THz

0.5umD S

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

10 100 1000

Tran

sistorg

ain(dB)

Frequency(GHz)

h21

MSG/MAG

fT=610GHz

fMAX=1.5THz

Submillimeter LNA’s

Ambient Temperature

[K]

Noise Figure

[dB]

Noise Temperatur

e [K]

HEMT 270 25

9.6 3.8

2355 400

GaAs Schottky

270 9.4 DSB (12.4 SSB*)

2236 DSB (4750 SSB*)

HEB Cryo 2.7 DSB (5.7 SSB*)

250 DSB (788 SSB*)

SIS 4 1.3 DSB (4.3 SSB*)

100 DSB (491 SSB*)

Ambient Temperature

[K]

Noise Figure

[dB]

Noise Temperatur

e [K]

HEMT 270 12 3361

GaAs Schottky

270 9.8 DSB (12.8 SSB*)

DSB 2500 (5236 SSB*)

670 GHz Comparison

850 GHz Comparison

InP HEMT LNA Noise Temperature

•  InP HEMT LNA sensitivity approaches that of DSB mixers.

•  InP HEMT LNA is superior to that of mixers operated in SSB mode.

•  This extends to cryogenic operation. *Performance estimated from plot. SSB is calculated from DSB by adding 3 dB

Mixer DSB Noise Performance

After Dr. I. Mehdi

THz Monolithic Integrated Circuit (TMIC)

• Integration Challenges: • Need wide chip for circuit, but narrow for transition • Cross-shaped chip

• Passive TMIC Technology: • High compaction. • HEMT to HEMT spacing of 10 µm.

Coplanar Waveguide (CPW)Coplanar Waveguide (CPW)GNDSignal

InP

GND

• Transistor Technology: • 25 nm InP HEMT

230 µm

• 655 µm

375 µm

10 µm

670 GHz Receiver Approach

LNA1

LNA2

LNA3

BPF1

BPF2

VDI Detector

JPL Horn

View of module internals

BPF LNA LNA LNA BPF

Detector Video Amp

•  Final receiver is an integrated, single-block 670 GHz Receiver

•  Module includes: •  Feedhorn (JPL) •  LNA MMICs •  Bandpass filters •  Zero Bias Detector (VDI) •  Video Circuitry

•  Each functional block has been prototyped and evaluated

•  Components have been evaluated together to evaluate integrated performance

Performance Goals NT 2500 K BW 20 GHz DC power 270 mW 13x50x8mm mm^3

670 GHz LNA

0

5

10

15

20

25

660 665 670 675 680

NoiseFigurean

dAssociated

Gain

(dB)

Frequency(GHz)

Packaged LNA TMIC

•  670-GHz LNA: –  8-stage, single-ended design –  2-Finger 12 µm HEMTs –  655 µm x 375 µm die size

Packaged 670-GHz LNA Measured Gain and Noise Figure

9.6 dB Measured Noise Figure (NT=2400K)

670 GHz LNA Gain vs. Temperature

�Gain=-0.1169�T-0.631

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40

�Gain[dB]

�T[°C]

670 GHz LNA over Temperature � Gain vs. �T

~0.01 dB/C per Device Measured

Hot Plate

DUT Extender Port 1 Extender Port 2

Temp varied from 0 – 50 C

Detector Responsivity Measurements

10

-40

-32

-24

-16

-8

0

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

650 660 670 680 690

Inpu

tPow

er[d

Bm]

Respon

sivity[m

V/mW]

Frequency[GHz]

-40

-32

-24

-16

-8

0

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

650 660 670 680 690

Inpu

tPow

er[d

Bm]

Respon

sivity[m

V/mW]

Frequency[GHz]

Fabricated and tested Detector Prototyping Module

Detector Measured Responsivity vs. Frequency

Detector Measured Responsivity vs. Frequency

VDI Detector (Within Split-Block Waveguide)

Measured with two different

input power levels

670 GHz Radiation Pattern

11

Bandpass filter

•  CNC Machined Bandpass filter

12

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

640 650 660 670 680 690 700

Inse

rtio

n L

oss

(d

B)

Frequency (GHz)

sn-002 sn-005 sn-006 sn-007 sn-008

Other Filter Fabrication Techniques

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

500 550 600 650 700 750

(dB)

(GHz)

s11(dB)s21(dB)s12(dB)s22(dB)

From DARPA THz Electronics

DRIE Filter

Filter formed with DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etch)

670 GHz “Breadboard” Receiver Noise Temperature

ColdLoadTemperature

[K]

HotLoadTemperature

[K]

HotLoadOutputVoltage

[mV]

ColdLoadOutputVoltage

[mV]

CalculatedNoiseTemperature

[K]

178 290.65 61.05 59.19 3406.81

BPF LNA LNA LNA BPF

Detector Video Amp

660-680 GHz Receiver Block Diagram: Hot Absorber

Cold Absorber

Room Temperature 670 GHz Receiver Noise Temperature Characterization

Output Voltage

230-390 GHz Receiver

•  A single feedhorn integrated in the module will cover the 240, 310 GHz direct detection bands and the 380 GHz sounder band

•  On-wafer test results for a full chip set

390LN1A

320LN1A

380MX1A 190DB1A

VDI Schottky diode

230-390 GHz Receiver

•  15-dB gain measured on-wafer •  Matches simulations •  Additional ripple from on-wafer

calibration/ noise in measurement

240 Channel

310 Channel

380 Soun der

Photograph of 230-390 GHz MMIC

230-390 GHz Receiver

240 Channel

310 Channel

Photograph of 230-320 GHz MMIC •  18-dB gain measured on-wafer •  Matches simulations

230-390 GHz Receiver: Packaging Approach

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

200 220 240 260 280 300 320

NoiseTem

perature[K

]

Gain[dB]

Frequency[GHz]

Gain[dB]S21packagedS21packagedTrecTDUT

on chip transitions

0

2

4

6

8

10

0

4

8

12

16

20

220 230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320

NoiseFigure[dB]

Associated

Gain[dB]

Frequency(GHz)

3.8 dB Measured Noise Figure (NT 400K) @ 240 GHz

4.3 dB Measured Noise Figure (NT 500K) @ 310 GHz

wirebonded microstrip to WG

transitions

230-390 GHz Receiver

-20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

220 240 260 280 300 320

S-Pa

rameters[dB

]

Frequency[GHz]

S11S21S22 -20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

220 240 260 280 300 320

S-Pa

rameters[dB

]

Frequency[GHz]

S11S21S22

596 µm CPW Line (Loss ~ 1.8 dB)

596 µm MS Line (Loss ~ 0.5 dB)

Single Transition Loss Single Transition Loss

Flange-to-flange measurement of depicted MMIC Flange-to-flange measurement of depicted MMIC

230-320 GHz Transition Loss Estimation

230-390 GHz Receiver

0

2

4

6

8

10

0

4

8

12

16

20

360 370 380 390

NoiseFigure[dB]

Associated

Gain[dB]

Frequency[GHz]

0

2

4

6

8

10

0

4

8

12

16

20

360 370 380 390

NoiseFigure[dB]

Associated

Gain[dB]

Frequency[GHz] 5 dB Measured Noise Figure (NT=650K) @ 380 GHz

230–390 GHz LNA With Integrated

narrowband waveguide transitions

360–390 GHz LNA Integrated waveguide

transitions

230-390 GHz Receiver

0

2

4

6

8

10

0

4

8

12

16

20

220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400

NoiseFigure[dB]

Associated

Gain[dB]

Frequency[GHz]

7 dB Measured Noise Figure (NT=1200K) @ 380 GHz

5.5 dB Measured Noise Figure (NT=650K) @ 310 GHz

6 dB Measured Noise Figure (NT=900K) @ 240 GHz

Currently: 230-390 GHz LNA with on-chip transition does not provide a significant advantage in receiver noise temperature compared to a diplexer followed by narrower band amplifiers

230-390 GHz Receiver

380 GHz second harmonic mixer - Broadband, 370 to 390 GHz -  Conversion loss ~ 15 dB for 6 dBm

LO power -  Balanced design uses 2 transistors

pumped 180° out of phase -  Chip size 375 X 1000 μm2

LO input

VG VD/IF

RF waveguide antenna TRANSISTORS

fundamental Pout

230-390 GHz Receiver 190 GHz frequency multipliers

x2

x12

Conclusion

•  Significant progress has been made in the new TWICE receivers –  “Breadboard” demonstration of 670 GHz direct detect receiver complete –  230-390 GHz MMIC components demonstrated

•  Currently completing 2nd MMIC design iteration

•  Integrated Receiver housing on order

•  Prototype will be assembled and tested by August