Bendable wireless sensors and millimetre-wave transmitters using thinned SiGe BiCMOSAcronym: Bend-IT

使用薄化 SiGe BiCMOS 的可弯曲无线传感器和毫米波发射器缩写：Bend-IT

• 批准号: 356463945
• 负责人: Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Ellinger
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Professur für Schaltungstechnik und Netzwerktheorie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2016-12-31 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/356463945?language=en
• 关键词: Bendable; wireless; sensors; millimetre; wave

Bend-IT aims at exploring and demonstrating the world-wide´s first mechanically-flexible wireless sensors operating at millimetre-wave frequencies. The project is based on a very fast silicon bipolar complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (BiCMOS) technology, which is thinned below 20 µm to enable bendability. The technology features transistors with transit frequencies up to 500 GHz. Hence, very high operation frequencies of 200 GHz are possible, thereby massively reducing the antenna size and allowing its integration on the chip. This decreases circuit dimensions and costs for applications in the area of the future internet of things (IoT). BiCMOS based temperature, light and/or pressure sensors will be used. Power supply is enabled by flexible thin-film batteries provided by our partner Varta. Hence, for the first time, extremely thin and bendable active millimetre-wave sensor systems are realizable.The key scientific questions and corresponding challenges are as follows: How does the thinning impact devices (such as the antenna, transistors, transmission lines, capacitors, inductors and resistors) and circuits at such very high frequencies? As a promising side effect, the thinning will lower the substrate losses and improve the performances of the devices. Which impacts have the bending and the induced mechanical stress at such high frequencies? How can we measure the compact chips at millimetre-wave frequencies if they are bended? How can we model the thinning and bending? The thinning can be considered by adapting the parameters of existing device models. However, the characterization required for the modelling of the bending is challenging at millimetre-wave frequencies. Here we take advantage that in bended condition a contactless system testing via the integrated antennas is possible. Several approaches will be investigated to mitigate and compensate the system impact of bending. Examples: current mirrors with low sensitivity against bending, negative feedback and circuit topologies exhibiting opposite trends as function of mechanical stress. To realise a complete frontend with the given resources, analogue modulation is targeted. The sensor modulates a 200 GHz oscillator. By means of a 200 GHz power amplifier the modulated sensor signal is amplified to produce an output power beyond 20 mW. Finally, the signal is radiated via the on-chip antenna.

Bend-IT旨在探索和展示世界上第一个在毫米波频率下工作的机械柔性无线传感器。该项目基于一种非常快速的硅双极互补金属氧化物半导体（BiCMOS）技术，该技术被薄至20微米以下，以实现可弯曲性。该技术的特点是晶体管传输频率高达500 GHz。因此，200千兆赫的非常高的工作频率是可能的，从而大大减少了天线的尺寸，并允许其集成在芯片上。这降低了未来物联网（IoT）领域应用的电路尺寸和成本。将使用基于BiCMOS的温度、光和/或压力传感器。电源由我们的合作伙伴Varta提供的柔性薄膜电池供电。因此，首次实现了极薄且可弯曲的有源毫米波传感器系统。关键的科学问题和相应的挑战如下：薄化如何在如此高的频率下影响器件（如天线、晶体管、传输线、电容器、电感和电阻）和电路？作为一个有希望的副作用，薄化将降低衬底损耗并提高器件的性能。在如此高的频率下，哪些冲击产生了弯曲和诱发的机械应力？如果芯片是弯曲的，我们如何在毫米波频率下测量它们？我们如何对变薄和弯曲进行建模？可以通过调整现有器件模型的参数来考虑减薄。然而，在毫米波频率下，弯曲建模所需的表征是具有挑战性的。在这里，我们利用了在弯曲条件下通过集成天线进行非接触式系统测试的可能性。将研究几种方法来减轻和补偿弯曲对系统的影响。例如：抗弯曲灵敏度低的电流反射镜、负反馈和随机械应力变化呈现相反趋势的电路拓扑结构。为了实现一个完整的前端与给定的资源，模拟调制的目标。传感器调制一个200ghz振荡器。通过200ghz功率放大器，调制后的传感器信号被放大，产生超过20mw的输出功率。最后，信号通过片上天线进行辐射。

项目成果

An Advanced Finite Element Model for BiCMOS Process Oriented Ultra-Thin Wafer Deformation

BiCMOS工艺导向超薄晶圆变形的先进有限元模型

• DOI: 10.1109/tsm.2021.3132550
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing
• 影响因子: 2.7
• 作者: Z. Cao;A. Goeritz;M. Stocchi;M. Wietstruck;C. Hoyer;L. D. Steinweg;C. Carta;F. Ellinger;B. Tillack;M. Kayna
• 通讯作者: M. Kayna

A 3-Bit DAC With Gray Coding for 100-Gbit/s PAM Signal Generation

用于生成 100 Gbit/s PAM 信号的具有格雷编码的 3 位 DAC

• DOI: 10.1109/ims30576.2020.9224093
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: 2020 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS)
• 作者: V. Rieß;P. Stärke;M. M. Khafaji;C. Carta;F. Ellinger
• 通讯作者: F. Ellinger

An Integrated mm-Wave Quadrature Up-Conversion Mixer Based on a Six-Port Modulator

• DOI: 10.23919/eumic.2019.8909459
• 发表时间: 2019-09
• 期刊: 2019 14th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC)
• 作者: V. Riess;Paul Stärke;C. Carta;F. Ellinger

A mm-Wave Quadrature Down-Conversion Mixer Based on a Six-Port Junction in 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS

基于 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS 六端口结的毫米波正交下变频混频器

• DOI: 10.1109/mwsym.2019.8700739
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: 2019 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS)
• 作者: V. Rieß;D. Fritsche;P. Stärke;C. Carta;F. Ellinger
• 通讯作者: F. Ellinger

Finite-element modelling of stress induced wafer warpage for a full BiCMOS process

全 BiCMOS 工艺应力引起的晶圆翘曲的有限元建模

• DOI: 10.1109/sirf.2019.8709125
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: 2019 IEEE 19th Topical Meeting on Silicon Monolithic Integrated Circuits in RF Systems (SiRF)
• 作者: Z. Cao;A. Goeritz;M. Wietstruck;S. T. Wipf;A. Trusch;M. Kaynak
• 通讯作者: M. Kaynak