Low-loss on-chip resonators enabling high-performance amplifiers and oscillators

毫米波技术在通信、雷达和成像领域的应用越来越广泛。这一趋势主要是由非常快速但廉价的半导体技术的发展推动的。向更高频率的演变仍在继续。互连、天线和封装技术的进步有些落后。这些技术需要很高的机械精度，导致高成本，并且通常会导致显著的信号损失。对于无线发射机，最后一个有源元件和空中接口之间累积的损耗导致能量效率较低。对于振荡器，高损耗的片上组件会导致较差的相位噪声，从而影响系统的整体性能。该项目旨在开发和演示一种技术，通过使用工作在低损耗高阶谐振模的片内球形介质谐振器来实现最高效率的发射机和最低的相位噪声振荡器。具体地说，实现了介质谐振器与片上电路的高效耦合，将展示几种工作在100 GHz的创新电路，包括：高效发射放大器、四对一最低损耗功率组合(用于发射放大器)、最低相位噪声压控振荡器和自由振荡振荡器。预期的性能将远远超过已知电路的性能。

Millimeter-wave techniques increasingly find applications in the areas of communications, radar and imaging. This trend is primarily driven by the development of very fast yet inexpensive semiconductor technologies. The evolution towards even higher frequencies is continuing. The advancement of interconnect, antenna and packaging technology legs somewhat behind. These technologies require high mechanical precision, causing high cost, and typically result in significant signal loss. For wireless transmitters, the loss accumulated between the last active element and the air interface results in poor energy efficiency. For oscillators, high-loss on-chip components result in poor phase-noise compromising overall system performance. This project aims to develop and demonstrate a technology enabling highest-efficiency transmitters and lowest phase-noise oscillators by employing on-chip spherical dielectric resonators operating in low-loss higher-order resonance modes. Specifically, implementing an efficient coupling of the dielectric resonator to on-chip circuitry, several innovative circuits operating at 100 GHz will be demonstrated, including: efficient transmit amplifier, four-to-one lowest-loss power combining (for transmit amplifiers), lowest phase-noise voltage-controlled oscillators and free-running oscillators. The expected performances will be well beyond those of known circuits.