DS4-T1 FRONT-END TECHNOLOGIES

DS4-T1 FRONT-END TECHNOLOGIES
Mo Missous Microelectronics and Nanostructures School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering University of Manchester 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

PARTICIPANTS Manchester : InP technologies for LNA and High Speed ADC. ASTRON : GaAs LNA ( with OMMIC) OPAR : SiGe LNA ( with Philips) 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

AIMS To develop active semi-conductor devices and rf amplifier systems, including high speed Analogue to Digital Converters (ADC), optimised specifically for radio astronomy applications (rather than commercial and military one). GOALS To combine low noise, high linearity and low power dissipation with low cost manufacturability . Achieving these aims involves a combination of materials (GaAs, SiGe and InP) and topologies (lithography). This will require development of customised active device technology, and the use of novel design techniques. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

Basic Semiconductor Technologies (MANCHESTER ) Design and Fabrication, using a first generation 1µm optical lithography process, of Low Noise InGaAs-InAlAs pHEMT with improved breakdown voltages and with adequate noise figure (< 35K at 1.4 GHz ). Design and Fabrication of high Speed InGaAs-InP HBT with FT > 70 GHz but still based on the same optical lithography process . 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

1.(a) [High Breakdown Voltage/Low noise pHEMT] Figure 1: Comparison of Gate-Source diode I-V for conventional (VMBE1855) and newly developed structure (VMBE1831). Figure 2. Comparison of optimum noise figures of the improved (VMBE1831) and conventional (VMBE1855) pHEMTs 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

1.(b) [Wide Band LNA Designs based on developed pHEMTs] Figure 3: Wide Band (0.4 -2GHz Feed back Amplifier based on 1 µm InGaAs-InAlAs pHEMT 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

1.(b) [Wide Band LNA Designs based on developed pHEMTs] -Stability (stable 0-30 GHz) -Noise (NF=1.2 ± 0.3 dB) GHz -Gain ( Gain=21± 2 dB) GHz Figure 4: Wide Band (0.4 -2GHz Feed back Amplifier based on 1 µm InGaAs-InAlAs pHEMT, rf characteristics. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

2.(a) [High Speed InGaAs-InP HBT] implementation. Figure 5: 55m self-aligned HBT (a) Common-emitter output characteristics (b) Collector current versus fT. Simulated and Measured characteristics 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

2.(b) [4 bit 4Gs/s ADC Designs] Anti- Aliasing (1) Encoder (4) Sample and Hold (2) Quantiser (3) A - buffer CH - hold capacitor Figure 6: High Speed Flash ADC building Blocks 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

2.(b) [4 bit 4Gs/s ADC Designs] Figure 7: Captured results from simulation of the comparator array at 4GHz clock and (a) 0.25GHz and (b) 1GHz input signal frequency 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

2.(b) [4 bit 4Gs/s ADC Designs] The basic building blocks to produce low power ADCs are currently being investigated. The initial results for the transistors suggest these can operate effectively at extremely low bias voltages. The simulations for the comparator of the ADC show promising progress, providing a relatively low power consumption of 1.73W at larger geometries. With further optimisation of the epilayer design, transistor geometry ( 1x3 emitter sizes) and circuit layout, an ultra-low power, GHz class ADC looks increasingly possible using this technology. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

ASTRON concentrated on the use of existing Integrated Circuit processes with a strong focus on III/V technologies for the implementation of Low Noise Amplifiers. 3 (a). [ Dual Feedback LNA] Dual-loop negative feedback amplifiers are suitable for both wideband and low noise applications. Compared to the conventional inductive-degenerated low noise amplifiers, the dual-loop feedback amplifier offers well-defined input impedance and signal transfer function and potentially good noise performance simultaneously. The dual-loop power-to-power configuration is mostly used for applications that have a well-defined source and load impedance, since its input impedance depends on the load and the output impedance depends on the source. The dual-loop power-to-voltage and power-to-current configurations do not have these limitations and are therefore very suitable for active antenna applications. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

Figure 8: Schematic and Simulated performance of the dual feedback LNA This has been implemented in 0.2µm GaAs technology from OMMIC, partner in SKADS. A very good input impedance match combined with a good noise match has been achieved. Measurements of the realized device are in progress. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

3 (b). Differential Low Noise Amplifier Design In order to avoid the need for a balun (balanced-unbalanced) circuit between the antenna and the LNA, a differential LNA concept has been implemented in InP (NGC) and GaAs (OMMIC). The differential LNA can be connected directly to the differential antenna concepts like the Vivaldi antenna. For the intermitted impedance levels non-50 Ohm impedance can be selected in order to avoid further ‘matching’ circuitry losses. Characterization of these circuits is however very complicated. This will be described in more detail in the DS4-T4 presentation, wide band integrated antennas. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

3 (c). CMOS Low Noise Amplifiers A standard LNA concept has been implemented in 0.18µm CMOS technology from UMC. The impedance and noise matching on the input requires an off-chip transmission line, limiting the frequency band width somewhat. The measured noise figure reaches the 0.5dB as can be seen from the plot below. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

Figure 9: Simulated and measured results of the CMOS LNA 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

OPAR contribution in DS4-T1 is centered on the use of low cost Si based technologies for the design of basic building blocks of SKA such as filters and wide band LNAs. 4. (a) Filter design in PICS technology PICS is a low cost 1µm Silicon technology available from Philips Semiconductors that offers high quality passives and the ability to achieve a highly integrated System in Package by using the substrate itself for interconnecting different dies that may be made from different materials for building a super-die. This low cost technology coupled with its capability to achieve high integration can be very valuable in tackling cost issues for SKA. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

Filter design Two band pass filters have been designed, a 5th order Tchebytchev band-pass filter and a high pass filter cascaded with 1 (or 2) low pass filter. Figure 10: Microphotograph and transmission of the Tchebytchev band-pass filter Both filters show good agreement with the simulations. Results from this first iteration are good enough to allow a second step follow up that will use this substrate and a next iteration of this filter as an interconnect substrate to realize a LNA/filter combination on a super-die. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

4. (b) SiGe LNA The QuBiC4G SiGe technology from Philips Semiconductors was used ( 0.25 µm). This technology exhibits a minimum noise figure NFmin of 0.6 dB at a frequency of 2 GHz. Another technology, QuBiC4X that is a SiGe:C technology even achieves a NFmin of 0.4 dB. Its use will be assessed in the next stage. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

In order to assess the potential of Silicon based technologies for wide band LNA, a 300 MHz – 2 GHz amplifier both in single ended and in differential configuration have been designed. Figure 11: Layout and noise figure of the differential 300 MHz – 2 GHz QuBiC4G LNA The minimum noise figure (0.9 2 GHz) is close to the minimum noise figure of the technology 2 GHz). The noise figure is as low as 0.93 dB around 700 MHz and is below 1.2 dB from 300 MHz to 2 GHz. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

Figure 12: Gain and matching of the differential 300 MHz – 2 GHz QuBiC4G LNA We have demonstrated that it is possible to design a wide band LNA in the 1 dB NF range with a flat gain and good input and output matching using a low-cost commercially available 0.25 µm Silicon technology. We hope to decrease still further this value as technologies with lower NFmin become available. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

Achieved milestones and deliverables 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

Task number Deliverable No Deliverable Name Workpackage /SubTask No Delivered by Contractor(s) Planned (in months) Achieved Ds4-T1 DS4-T1.1 Establish benchmark LNA simulations to provide performance feedback for device process development for various semiconductor technologies. UMAN, ASTRON T0+12 12 DS4-T1.2 RF on wafer (RFOW) measurements on device wafers fabricated, extract scaleable equivalent circuit model. UMAN T0+9 to T0+15 DS4-T1 DS4-T1.5 ADC Design rule established and recommended ADC architectures selected. T0+1 to T0+12 DS4-T1.3 Design, fabrication and testing of SiGe band pass filter using PIC Technology OPAR T0+6 to T0+18 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

NEXT 18 MONTHS STAGE [July 2006 to Jan 2008] LNA design techniques simulation study – determine optimum design approach, including consideration of circuit topologies best suited for achieving wide operating bandwidth, linearity, low noise temperature, high yield and low cost (T0+15 to T0+36). ADC building blocks design, fabrication and performance (T0+12 to T0+30) Design, manufacture and test of hybrid LNA using novel discrete devices developed in programme (two iterations) (T0+18 to T0+24). Fabricate and test Integrated ADC circuits (T0+18 to T0+30) 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

TABLE 1: Schedule for DS4-T1 The Gantt chart for these tasks remains on target. 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Jan Geralt Bij de Vaate Jaques Pezzani Joz Sly James Sexton A. Bouloukou Sobih Plus many, many more! 18 February 2019 SKADS Workshop 2006

DS4-T1 FRONT-END TECHNOLOGIES

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