EAGER: Ultra Broadband Fully Integrated GaN Front End Integrated Chip

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科项目(HBCU-UP)为加强HBCU的STEM本科教育和研究提供了支持。这项早期概念探索性研究助学金(AGER)表达了佛罗里达农工大学(FAMU)在集成芯片设计、制造和验证方面创新研究活动的需求。该项目的重点是开发覆盖广泛的全集成GaN前端芯片。这项工作将通过研究一种新的横向滤波器型电路拓扑来实现，以提高功率放大效率。这项研究工作的建立将进一步提高FAMU直接响应芯片和科学法案的研究能力。本项目的目标是为所提出的芯片开发新型横向滤波器型宽带分布式功率放大器、宽带射频开关、低噪声放大器、全集成解决方案以及新颖的封装和建立实验验证测试平台。此外，该项目寻求1)开发集成芯片设计、制造和验证课程，2)为本科生开发暑期研究计划，3)与其他HBCU共享开发的课程材料，以促进半导体、芯片设计和实验验证方面的研究活动。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provides support to strengthen STEM undergraduate education and research at HBCUs. This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) expresses the need for innovative research activity in integrated chip design, fabrication, and validation at Florida A&M University (FAMU). The project focuses on the development of fully integrated GaN front end chips covering a wide spectrum. This work will be accomplished via investigation of a novel transversal filter type circuit topology to boost the efficiency of power amplification. The establishment of this research effort will further enhance the research capacity at FAMU in direct response to the CHIPS and Science Act.The goal of this project is to develop a novel transversal filter type broadband distributed power amplifier, a wideband radio frequency switch, a low noise amplifier, a fully integrated solution, and novel packaging and set up of an experimental validation test bench for the proposed chip. Additionally, the project seeks to 1) develop a course for integrated chip design, fabrication, and validation, 2) develop a summer research program for undergraduate students, and 3) share the developed course materials with other HBCUs promoting the research activities in semiconductor, chip design, and experiment validation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.