Millimeter-wave High-performance Front-ends for Future Ubiquitous Wireless Networks and Sensors

毫米波（mm波）频带尤其令人感兴趣，因为大量的RF频谱已经在世界范围内被分配用于无线通信（57-64 GHz、71-76 GHz、81-86 GHz和92-95 GHz频带）、汽车雷达（76-81 GHz）或成像传感器（86 GHz以上）。密集的研究工作已经开始为这些新兴应用设计紧凑和低成本的毫米波收发器。 在过去的一年里，关于可能的5G标准的初步兴趣和讨论吸引了世界各地研究人员和工程师的注意力和想象力。预计在未来20年内，无线数据流量将增加10，000倍。对硬件实现和信道条件的基本限制限制了传统选择的可行性，即在低于6 GHz的频带中设计频谱高效系统（例如4G LTE）。为了实现几个Gb/s的数据速率，毫米波频谱使得能够使用具有更简单和低成本调制技术的大带宽（例如，2GHz），而不是依赖于最初用于确保具有较小带宽的高频谱效率的高度复杂的技术。 此外，毫米波段确保了雷达和其他传感器的高分辨率。与视频、激光和超声波等替代传感器相比，汽车雷达和成像传感器可以受益于诸如天气独立性和直接获取范围和速度等固有优势。热门话题还包括安全和监视应用，以识别隐藏在衣服下的武器，并用于传统磁力计无法检测到的物体检测。 在毫米波研究中，今天要解决的技术挑战是前所未有的。拟议的计划将利用我们的研究团队在毫米波电路，系统和干涉技术的强大专业知识。将考虑使用大规模制造技术的新设计，适合未来无处不在的应用。 该研究计划的总体目标是：（i）为新兴应用提出并验证创新和高性能的毫米波收发器架构;（ii）使用低成本制造技术为高能效和小型化前端多芯片集成模块找到新的解决方案;（iii）在INRS-EMT建立一个高素质研究人员的永久性人才库，以开发RF技术。 研究工作将面向新系统架构的设计，原型收发器制造使用集成技术与创新的毫米波组件和先进的测试台测量。 该方案将产生的新知识和对与这项工作不同阶段有关的高素质人员的培训肯定将有助于提高加拿大在这一高技术部门的全球竞争力。

Millimeter wave (mm-wave) bands are especially of interest because a massive amount of RF spectrum has been allocated worldwide for wireless communications (57-64 GHz, 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, and 92-95 GHz bands), automotive radar (76-81 GHz) or imaging sensors (above 86 GHz). Intensive research efforts have been started to design compact and low-cost mm-wave transceivers for these emerging applications. In the past year, preliminary interest and discussions about a possible 5G standard have captured the attention and imagination of researchers and engineers around the world. Wireless data traffic is projected to increase 10,000 times within the next 20 years. Fundamental limits on hardware implementation and channel conditions limit the viability of the conventional option, the design of spectrally efficient systems (such as 4G LTE) in bands below 6 GHz. In order to achieve several Gb/s data-rates, the mm-wave spectrum enables the use of large bandwidths (e.g. 2 GHz) with simpler and low-cost modulation techniques, rather than relying on highly complex techniques, originally used to ensure a high spectral efficiency with smaller bandwidths. In addition, mm-wave bands ensure very high resolution for radars and other sensors. Automotive radar and imaging sensors can benefit of inherent advantages like weather independence and direct acquisition of range and velocity when compared to alternative sensors like video, laser and ultrasonic. Hot topics are also security and surveillance applications to identify weapons hidden under the clothing and for object detection which are not detected by conventional magnetometers. Technical challenges to be addressed today in the mm-wave research are unprecedented. The proposed program will take advantage of our research team's strong expertise in mm-wave circuits, systems, and interferometric techniques. Novel designs using large scale fabrication technologies, suitable for future ubiquitous applications, will be considered. The general objectives of this research program are: (i) to propose and to validate innovative and performant mm-wave transceiver architectures for emerging applications; (ii) to find new solutions for high energy efficiency and miniaturized front-end multi-chip integrated modules using low-cost fabrication technologies; (iii) to establish a permanent pool of highly qualified researchers at the INRS-EMT, for the development of RF technologies. Research efforts will be oriented towards the design of new system architectures, prototype transceiver fabrication using integrated technologies with innovative mm-wave components and advanced test-bench measurements. The new knowledge that will emerge from this program and the training of highly qualified personnel associated to the different stages of this work will certainly contribute to enhance Canada's global competitiveness in this high-technology sector.