Enabling High Frequency Electronics · proprietary amplified SSB extension to 40 GHz) • 2 Elettromechanical Tuners (Focus 0.08-18 GHz e 3-50 GHz) • Digital Sampling Oscilloscope

EE Dept., Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy, 26th September 2014

Ernesto Limiti ARES and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettronica,

Università degli Studi di Roma Tor [email protected]

Enabling High Frequency Electronics


ARES and High Frequency Electronics

• ARES Consortium has its main facilities and competences inhigh-frequency electronics at the Department of ElectronicEngineering (DIE) of the University of Roma Tor Vergata (thebuilding where the meeting is held).

• The group at the DIE is composed by more than 20 people,including permanent staff (professors, researchers, technicians)and post-doc/PhDs.

• The heritage in microwaves and millimeter wave techniquesdates back to the early ‘80s, thus summing up to more than 30years experience.

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ARES Activities - 1

Two main directions, namely

• Device/subsystem characterization and modelling: linear,non-linear and noise up to 110GHz (and above), scaleable, bias-dependent modelling with different approaches (equivalent-circuit, black-box, physical).

• Circuit and subsystem design: Amplifiers (PAs, LNAs, VGAs,DPAs ...), Mixers (resistive, passive, active …), frequencymultipliers, multifunction (Core chips, TR chips, IntegratedReceivers …) adopting state-of-the-art design methodologies.Long-track experience in Hybrid as well as MMIC design withmany foundries (SLX, UMS, OMMIC, NGS, TRW, Triquint,Raytheon, …).

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ARES Characterization Facilities - 1

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• 2 Vector Network Analysers (HP 8510C 0.05-50 GHz and Anritsu 37XXXD,0.05-65 GHz, extended to 110 GHz)

• 2 Spectrum Analyser (HP 70000 DC-40 GHz, Agilent PSA E4448A 3Hz-50GHz)

• Noise Measurement System (HP8970B-HP8971C DC-26.5 GHz, withproprietary amplified SSB extension to 40 GHz)

• 2 Elettromechanical Tuners (Focus 0.08-18 GHz e 3-50 GHz)

• Digital Sampling Oscilloscope (TekTronix up to 50 GHz)

• I-V Pulsed Measurement System (GaAs Code)

• Power Amplifier (AR 0.8-4.2 GHz - 25 W)

• Synthesised Sources (2 Anritsu MG3692A 2-20 GHz e HP 83640A DC-40GHz)

• Vector Signal Source (Agilent E4438C 250 kHz-6 GHz)

• Probe Stations (Cascade Microtech RF-1 and proprietary semi-authomatedone, equipped with anti-vibrating tables)

• Cryogenic Probe Station (down to 20 K, proprietary)

• Test-fixtures (Wiltron, Agilent, …)

Tor Vergata


ARES Characterization Facilities - 2

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Access to Active Harmonic Load-Pull

Gate/BaseBias Network

Drain/CollBias Supply

On Wafer DEVICE

Probe Station

CIRCULATOR

ISOLATOR ISOLATORBIAS TEE BIAS TEE

BANDPASS FILTERAT 6.5 GHz

DIRECTIONALCOUPLER

E5052A SIGNALSOURCE ANALYZER

DIRECTIONALCOUPLER

SPECTRUMANALYZER ANDPOWER METER

PC SOFTWARECONTROLAND DATA

ACQUISITION

LO

OP

FRE

QU

ENC

YA

ND

AM

PLIT

UD

ETU

NIN

G

IC/ID ACQUISITION

ZIN

TU

NIN

G

ZO

UT

TU

NIN

G

PHASE NOISE DATA ACQUISITION

POW

ER

AN

D FR

EQU

EN

CY

DA

TA

AC

QU

ISITIO

N

Computer ControlledMicrowave Tuner



S1S2

S3

S3c

T3

T1 T2

50 Ohm

Access to Phase noise characterisation

RCVR

OUTPUT BLOCKSOURCE-PULL BLOCK

DUT

VNA Reference Planes

DUT Reference Planes

CH

1C

H 2

VN

A

NS

TUNER IN

TUNER OUT

BIAS TEE

BIAS TEETERM

SP4T

DPDT

S-Par &Noise integrated Test Bench

Closed Loop Cryo probe station (down to 20K)


ARES Activities - 2

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ARES facilities are clearly used for internally-funded andcoordinated basic research, and are very often adopted to supportexternal companies for

• Technology assessment• Technology optimization (realise-characterise-model loop)• Technology development• Realized subsystem characterization• Active/passive device model extractions• PDKs development and verification• ad-hoc modelling


ARES Activities - 3

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Examples :• KorriGan : first large European-scale GaN project, in which

MECSA acted (also) as device modelling center for Selex,III-V Lab and QinetiQ technologies, with evolvingtechnologies.

• GARANTE : Italian MoD project for 0.25m GaNtechnology assessment (Selex ES).

• Quagas : ASI project for Space qualification of 0.25mGaAs technology (Selex ES).

• TeraSCREEN : FP7 project, within which a 0.04mmHEMT technology is developed (OMMIC).

• In the past, several examples including COSMIC,MANPOWER, ESPRIT IV European projects.


ARES Activities - 4

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… but also technological investigations:

• Physical simulation and modelling (Monte Carlo, Drift-diffusion …), using both commercial and ad-hoc simulationtools.

• Thermal simulation and modelling (by using commercial andad-hoc simulation tools)

• Thermal characterization (nonlinear thermal impedancemeasurements)

• Basic technological exploration (e.g. different semiconductoralloys and devices with non-conventional operating principles,such as Diamond)


ARES Activities - 5

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• Regarding microwave circuit design, the research focus hasbeen historically directed towards Design Methodologiesfor high-efficiency transmitting subsystems and highperformance receivers.

• The heritage of ARES as circuit design center dates back tothe early ’90s with the COSMIC FP2 project (monolithictransimpedance amplifier design) and continues since thenwith the participation to many projects, both national andinternational, public- or privately funded.

• All the major CAD tools are available (circuit, system andEM-oriented), also for commercial use.

• A representative list is attempted in the following, as anexample of ARES capabilities and offer.


EDA project KorriGAN - 1

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2‐18 GHz SPDT GaN Switch

X Band SPDT GaN Switch

Development of GaN HEMT Technology in Europe (KorriGAN), (2005-2009).

• To take advantage of high power densities and power handling of GaN, Switching SPDT (up to 18 GHz) for transmitters.

• Design with Selex – SI and Tiger GaN 0.25 μm microstrip technology

• Small- and Large-signal characterization of HEMT devices for switching applications

• Device modelling• Broadband (2-18 GHz) and Narrowband (X Band)

SPDT switch design


EDA project KorriGAN - 2

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2‐18 GHz GaN DLNA – V1

Development of GaN HEMT Technology in Europe (KorriGAN), (2005-2009).

• To take advantage of high robustness and power handling of GaN devices for Low Noise applications.

• Design with Selex – SI GaN 0.25 μm microstrip technology

• Noise, Small- and Large-signal characterization of HEMT devices for switching applications

• Device modelling• 2 Broadband (2-18 GHz) robust LNA designs as

cascade of distributed amplifier cells

2‐18 GHz GaN DLNA – V2


ASI project PROMIX - 1

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X-band 1W MMIC Linear Power Amplifier in InGaP/GaAs HBT Technology

X-band 10W MMIC High Power Amplifier in InGaP/GaAs HBT Technology

Design and implementation of the MMIC chip set for X-band T/R modules for SAR Payload of second generation (PROMIX), (2009-2010).

• Application: X-band T/R modules for SAR• 2m GaInP/GaAs HBT Technology HB20PX from

UMS • Characterization of HBT devices for model

optimization• Design and characterization of driver amplifiers and

HPAs operating in pulsed condition (100 us / 30% duty)

• Optimization of HBT thermal behavior to avoid thermal runaway

• BUS bar solution for the final stage • Optimization of large signal working point to avoid

parametric oscillations


ASI project PROMIX - 2

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Design and implementation of the MMIC chip set for X-band T/R modules for SAR Payload of second generation (PROMIX), (2009-2010).

• Application: X-band T/R modules for SAR• 0.2m E/D PHEMT technology ED02AH from

OMMIC• Design and realization of a X-Band Core Chip

featured by 6 bit phase control, 6 bit amplitude control and T/R switch, with integrated 3-stages LNA and MPA

• On-board S/P conversion• T/R control of amplifiers’ biases • Less than 15mm2 total area

X-band Core Chip in OMMIC ED02AH Technology


ESA project SCFE

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Single GaN Chip Front-End (SCFE), (2013-2014).

UMS SCFE Layout. MMIC size is 6.9 x 5.4 mm2

SLX SCFE Layout. MMIC size is 7.28 x 5.40 mm2.

• Application: future generation of C-band T/R modules for SAR

• 0.25m AlGaN/GaN HEMT Technology GH25 from UMS and 0.5m AlGaN/GaN HEMT Technology from Selex ES

• Foundries in the project team• Characterization of passive and active GaN devices for

model extraction/verification/optimization• Design of SCFE in the two technologies integrating

HPA, LNA and T/R output switch to obtain 40W output power (40% PAE), 36dB gain and 2.5dB NF in C Band


FP6 project RadioNET (Pharos)

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Advanced RadioAstronomy in Europe (RadioNET), (2006-2009).

FPA prototype

• Application: build the future instruments for C-Band observation as focal-plane array receivers

• 0.2m pHEMT Technology ED02AH from OMMIC• Design of the entire electronic focal plane array

components: LNAs, MPAs, PSs, ATTs (PAMs)• Assembly and test of the entire focal plane array• Cryogenic (20K) operation of the LNAs, 77K operation

of the PAMs

LNA (full C-Band) Buffered attenuator (full C-Band) 6-bit PS (full C-Band)

EE Dept., Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy, 26th September 2014 16

ESA project SMPA

Switched Mode Power Amplifiers Realization of a Transmitter based on PWM (SMPA), (2013-2015).

Transmitter architecture

• Application: study and development of a Solid State Transmitter for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in P-band (435 MHz) for Earth observation, capable of achieving more than 80% efficiency at high power level (150 W) employing European technologies

• Driver stages and modulator: IHP CMOS process

• Power stages : UMS discrete devices (CHK040A)

• Design of the power stages

PWMmodulator

On-chip driver Power stage

Matching and resonator

AM1 (analog)

OutPWM

modulatorOn-chip

driver Power stageMatching and resonator

Chip 1

Chip 2 WilkinsonCombiner

Powersplitter

AM2 (analog)

PWMmodulator



AM3 (analog)

PWMmodulator



Chip 3

Chip 4 WilkinsonCombiner

AM4 (analog)

WilkinsonCombiner

RF carrier

0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.450.10 0.50

20

30

40

50

10

60

20

40

60

80

0

100

Duty cycle

PAE[::,Index1]

m13

Pou

t_dB

m[::

,Inde

x1] m14

Output Performance

m13plot_vs(PAE[::,Index1], delta)=85.737

m14plot_vs(Pout_dBm[::,Index1], delta)=45.758

Preliminary performance

EE Dept., Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy, 26th September 2014 17

FP7 project SLOGAN

Space quaLification Of High-Power SSPA based on GaN technology (SLOGAN), (2013-2016).

SSPA assembly

• Application: to evaluate and apply the potentiality of mature UMS European GaN based technology (GH-50) for space applications, through the development of a GaN SSPA EQM for the next generation of Galileo satellites (E1 band, Pout 300W) ready to replace the current TWTAs

• Design and assistance in space qualification of the power stages

Preliminary Breadboarding of the PAs

80W PA 40W PA


Conclusions

• ARES is a public/private consortium joining together theexperimental resources, the expertise and the critical mass of adynamic university and the system capabilities of TECS.

• ARES heritage in high-frequency enabling electronics is based onmore than 30 years experience.

• Only microwave/millimetre-wave electronic activities have beenbriefly presented: the activities in EM and propagation fields arealso in the loop.

• ARES is open to collaborations, not only academic but alsoindustrial and applied research in general, to promote and diffuse(as in its DNA) MTT, as demonstrated by the long-trackexperience briefly recalled.

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Ernesto Limiti ARES and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettronica,

Università degli Studi di Roma Tor [email protected]: +39 06 72597351

Fax : +39 06 72597953 Mob: +39 347 2537988

Documents

Enabling High Frequency Electronics · proprietary amplified SSB extension to 40 GHz) • 2 Elettromechanical Tuners (Focus 0.08-18 GHz e 3-50 GHz) • Digital Sampling Oscilloscope