Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T23:12:57.223Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A low-phase noise D-band signal source based on 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS and 0.15 µm AlGaN/GaN HEMT technologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2019

Thanh Ngoc Thi Do ,
Mingquan Bao ,
Zhongxia Simon He ,
Ahmed Hassona ,
Dan Kuylenstierna  and
Herbert Zirath
Thanh Ngoc Thi Do*
Affiliation:
Microwave Electronics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Mingquan Bao
Affiliation:
Ericsson Research, Ericsson AB, Gothenburg, Sweden
Zhongxia Simon He
Affiliation:
Microwave Electronics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Ahmed Hassona
Affiliation:
Microwave Electronics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Dan Kuylenstierna
Affiliation:
Microwave Electronics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Herbert Zirath
Affiliation:
Microwave Electronics Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden Ericsson Research, Ericsson AB, Gothenburg, Sweden
*
Author for correspondence: Thanh Ngoc Thi Do, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper reports on a record-low-phase noise D-band signal source with 5 dBm output power, and 1.3 GHz tuning range. The source is based on the unconventional combination of a fundamental frequency 23 GHz oscillator in 150 nm AlGaN/GaN HEMT technology followed by a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS MMIC including a sixtupler and an amplifier. The amplifier operates in compression mode as power-limiting amplifier, to equalize the source output power so that it is nearly independent of the oscillator's gate and drain bias voltages used for tuning the frequency of the source. The choice of using a GaN HEMT oscillator is motivated by the need for a low oscillator noise floor, which recently has been demonstrated as a bottle-neck for data rates in wideband millimeter-wave communication systems. The phase noise performance of this signal source is −128 dBc/Hz at 10 MHz-offset. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this result is the lowest reported phase noise of D-band signal source.

Keywords

D-bandsignal sourceoscillatorGaN HEMTfrequency multiplieramplifierSiGe BiCMOSlow phase noise
Type
Research Papers
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 11 , Special Issue 5-6: EuMW 2018 Special Issue (Part I) , June 2019 , pp. 456 - 465
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Webb, W (2007) Wireless Communications: The Future, UK. Chichester: Wiley.Google Scholar
2.Cherry, S (2004) Edholm's law of bandwidth – telecommunications data rates are as predictable as Moore's law. IEEE Spectrum 41, 58–60.Google Scholar
3.Shannon, CE (1949) Communication theory of secrecy systems. The Bell System Tech. J. 28, 656–715.Google Scholar
4.Chen, J, He, Z, Kuylenstierna, D, Eriksson, T, Hörberg, M, Swahn, T and Zirath, H (2017) Does LO noise floor limit performance in multi-gigabit millimetre-wave communication? IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters 27, 769–771.Google Scholar
5.Grzyb, J, Vazquez, PR, Heinemann, B and Pfeiffer, UR (2018) A high-speed QPSK/16-QAM 1 m Wireless Link with Tunable 220–260 GHz LO Carrier in SiGe HBT Technology, 43rd International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz waves (IRMMW-THz), Nagoya.Google Scholar
6.Carpenter, S, He, ZS and Zirath, H (2018) Multi-functional D-band I/Q modulator/demodulator MMICs in SiGe BiCMOS technology. International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies 10, 596–604.Google Scholar
7.Eissa, MH, Malignaggi, A, Wang, R, Elkhouly, M, Schmalz, K, Ulusoy, AC and Kissinger, D (2018) Wideband 240 GHz transmitter and receiver in BiCMOS technology with 25-Gbit/s data rate. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 53, 2532–2542.Google Scholar
8.Chen, J, He, Z, Kuylenstierna, D, Gunnarsson, SE, Eriksson, T, Swahn, T and Zirath, H (2018) Influence of white LO noise on wideband communication. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 66, 3349–3359.Google Scholar
9.Antes, J and Kallfass, I (2015) Performance estimation for broadband multi-gigabit millimeter- and sub-millimeter-wave wireless communication links. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 63, 3288–3299.Google Scholar
10.Liu, H, Zhu, X, Boon, CC, Yi, X, Mao, M and Yang, W (2014) Design of ultra-low phase noise and high power integrated oscillator in 0.25 µm GaN-on-SiC HEMT technology. IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters 24, 120–122.Google Scholar
11.Lai, S, Kuylenstierna, D, Özen, M, Hörberg, M, Rorsman, N, Angelov, I and Zirath, H (2014) Low phase noise GaN HEMT oscillators with excellent figures of merit. IEEE Microwave Components Letter 24, 412–414.Google Scholar
12.Yuan, S and Schumacher, H (2013) A SiGe:C BiCMOS 140 GHz wideband frequency multiplier-by-8 with differential output, IEEE European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), Nuremberg.Google Scholar
13.Carpenter, S, He, Z and Zirath, H (2017) A direct carrier I/Q modulator for high-speed communication at D-band using 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology, IEEE European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), Nuremberg.Google Scholar
14.Lenk, F, Schott, M, Hilsenbeck, J and Heinrich, W (2014) A new design approach for low phase noise reflection-type MMIC oscillators. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 52, 2725–2731.Google Scholar
15.Lai, S, Kuylenstierna, D, Hörberg, M, Rorsman, N, Angelov, I, Andersson, K and Zirath, H (2013) Accurate phase noise prediction for a balanced colpitts GaN HEMT MMIC Oscillators. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 61, 3916–3926.Google Scholar
16.Soubercaze-Pun, S, Tartarin, JG, Bary, L, Rayssac, J, Morvan, E, Grimbert, B, Delage, SL, De Jeager, J-C and Graffeuil, J (2006) Design of a X-band GaN Oscillator: From the low frequency noise device characterization and large signal modeling to circuit design, International Microwave Symposium Digest, San Francisco.Google Scholar
17.Hörberg, M and Kuylenstierna, D (2015) Low phase noise power-efficient MMIC GaN HEMT Oscillator at 15 GHz based on a Quasi-lumped on chip resonator, IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, Arizona.Google Scholar
18.Do, TNT, Hörberg, M, Lai, S, Wollersjo, S-H, Johansson, D, Zirath, H and Kuylenstierna, D (2017) 7-13 GHz MMIC GaN HEMT Voltage-Controlled-Oscillators (VCOs) for satellite applications, IEEE European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), Nuremberg.Google Scholar
19.Liu, H, Zhu, X, Boon, C-C, Yi, X, Mao, M and Yang, W (2014) Design of ultra-low phase noise and high power integrated oscillator in 0.25 µm GaN-on-SiC HEMT technology. IEEE Microwave Components Letter 24, 120–122.10.1109/LMWC.2013.2290222Google Scholar
20.Bao, M, Li, Y and Jacobsson, H (2005) A 25-GHz ultra-low phase noise InGaP/GaAs HBT VCO. IEEE Microwave Components Letter 15, 751–753.Google Scholar
21.Zirath, H, Kozhuharov, R and Ferndahl, M (2005) Balanced Colpitts-oscillator MMICs designed for ultra-low phase noise. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 40, 2077–2086.Google Scholar
22.Kuylenstierna, D, Lai, S, Mingquan, B and Zirath, H (2012) Design of low-phase-noise oscillators and wideband VCOs in InGaP-HBT technology. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 60, 3420–3430.Google Scholar
23.Ergintav, A, Herzel, F, Borngraber, J, Kissinger, D and Ng, HJ (2017) An integrated 240 GHz differential frequency sixtupler in SiGe BiCMOS technology, IEEE 17th Topical Meeting on Silicon Monolithic Integrated Circuits in RF Systems (SiRF), Arizona.Google Scholar
24.Wang, Y, Goh, WL and Zhong Xiong, Y (2012) A 9% Power Efficiency 121-to-137 GHz Phase-Controlled Push-Push Frequency Quadrupler in 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS, IEEE Solid-State Circuits Conf., San Francisco.Google Scholar
25.Kucharski, M, Malignaggi, A, Kissinger, D and Jalli Ng, H (2017) A wideband 129–171 GHz frequency quadrupler using a stacked Bootstrapped Gilbert cell in 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS”, IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting (BCTM).Google Scholar
26.Keysight Technologies: Phase Noise Measurement Methods and Techniques, https://www.keysight.com/upload/cmc_upload/All/PhaseNoise_webcast_19Jul12.pdf.Google Scholar
27.Keysight Technologies: Spectrum Analysis Basic – Application Note 150, http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5952-0292.pdfGoogle Scholar
28.Pfeiffer, UR, Ojefors, E and Zhao, Y (2010) A SiGe quadrature transmitter and receiver chipset for emerging high-frequency applications at 160 GHz, IEEE Int. Solid-State Circuits Conf., San Francisco.Google Scholar
29.Momeni, O and Afshari, E (2011) High power terahertz and millimeter-wave oscillator design: a systematic approach. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 46, 583–597.Google Scholar
30.Bredendiek, C, Pohl, N, Aufinger, K and Bilgic, A (2012) An Ultra-Wideband D-band Signal Source Chip Using a Fundamental VCO with Frequency Doubler in a SiGe Bipolar Technology, IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium, Montreal.Google Scholar
31.Jung, S, Yn, J and Rieh, J-S (2015) A D-band Signal source based on SiGe 0.18 µm BiCMOS Technology. Journal of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science 15, 232–238.Google Scholar
32.Laskin, E, Chevalier, P, Chantre, A, Sautreuil, B and Voinigescu, SP (2008) 165-GHz transceiver in SiGe technology. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 43, 1087–1100.Google Scholar
33.Zeinolabedinzadeh, S, Song, P, Kaynak, M, Kamarei, M, Tillack, B and Cressler, JD (2014) Low Phase Noise and High Output Power 367 GHz and 154 GHz Signal Sources in 130 nm SiGe HBT Technology, IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium, Florida.Google Scholar
34.Jahn, M, Knapp, H and Stelzer, A (2011) A 122-GHz SiGe-based signal-generation chip employing a fundamental-wave oscillator with capacitive feedback frequency-enhancement. IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 46, 2009–2020.10.1109/JSSC.2011.2145310Google Scholar
35.Jaeschke, T, Bredendiek, C, Kuppers, S and Pohl, N (2014) High-precision D-band FMCW-radar sensor based on a wideband SiGe-transceiver MMIC. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 62 3582–3597.Google Scholar