Radio Frequency and mm-Wave Integrated Circuits

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The proposed research consists of the exploration of low cost, fully integrated low power, short-range high-speed wireless communications circuits. A typical application would be to transfer data at high bit rates between devices, for example, video cameras to display devices. Due to an increasing number of personal communication devices being used at low GHz frequencies, there is limited opportunity to for high data rate applications at such frequencies. It becomes necessary to explore higher frequencies where the required bandwidth is available. As an example, there is up to 7 GHz of bandwidth available at 60 GHz allowing data communications at GHz rates. In order to remain low cost, and for the possibility of being fully integrated, it is appropriate to use CMOS or BiCMOS technology which has the advantage that it can be used both for radio frequency front-end circuits, and for digital signal processing in the back end of the transceiver. However, with silicon it is important to do the design carefully to minimize the loss and noise due to the non-ideal substrate. As well, at these high frequencies the wavelength is decreased down to the mm range, and hence it is possible to use distributed components based on transmission lines. The structure of the transmission lines can be optimized to reduce substrate losses, for example by making it coplanar, however, this must be carefully traded off with the increase in layout area. In typical applications, distributed components might be used for matching and coupling circuits. Other existing examples of circuits that make use of distributed components are distributed amplifiers or rotary traveling wave oscillators. The trade-off between the possible higher quality of distributed com-ponents and the smaller physical size of lumped components will be made carefully, choosing structures that are the most beneficial for the particular application. Ultimately, the goal of this research will be to have designed the high-frequency components of the transceiver using an optimal mixture of lumped and distributed components.