02-03-2013, 06:43 PM
previous work, recent advances in monolithic microwave integrated circuits and also advantages & disadvantages of MMICs.
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monolithic microwave integrated circuits seminar
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previous work, recent advances in monolithic microwave integrated circuits and also advantages & disadvantages of MMICs.
10-07-2015, 08:25 PM
sample impression message after seminar on child protection
11-07-2015, 10:04 AM
monolithic microwave integrated circuits seminar
A Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit, or MMIC (sometimes pronounced "mimic"), is a type of integrated circuit (IC) device that operates at microwave frequencies (300 MHz to 300 GHz). These devices typically perform functions such as microwave mixing, power amplification, low-noise amplification, and high-frequency switching. Inputs and outputs on MMIC devices are frequently matched to a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms. This makes them easier to use, as cascading of MMICs does not then require an external matching network. Additionally, most microwave test equipment is designed to operate in a 50-ohm environment.
MMICs are dimensionally small (from around 1 mm² to 10 mm²) and can be mass-produced, which has allowed the proliferation of high-frequency devices such as cellular phones. MMICs were originally fabricated using gallium arsenide (GaAs), a III-V compound semiconductor. It has two fundamental advantages over silicon (Si), the traditional material for IC realisation: device (transistor) speed and a semi-insulating substrate. Both factors help with the design of high-frequency circuit functions. However, the speed of Si-based technologies has gradually increased as transistor feature sizes have reduced, and MMICs can now also be fabricated in Si technology. The primary advantage of Si technology is its lower fabrication cost compared with GaAs. Silicon wafer diameters are larger (typically 8" or 12" compared with 4" or 6" for GaAs) and the wafer costs are lower, contributing to a less expensive IC.
Originally, MMICs used MEtal-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MESFETs) as the active device. More recently High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), Pseudomorphic HEMTs and Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors have become common.
Other III-V technologies, such as indium phosphide (InP), have been shown to offer superior performance to GaAs in terms of gain, higher cutoff frequency, and low noise. However they also tend to be more expensive due to smaller wafer sizes and increased material fragility.
Silicon germanium (SiGe) is a Si-based compound semiconductor technology offering higher-speed transistors than conventional Si devices but with similar cost advantages.
Gallium nitride (GaN) is also an option for MMICs. Because GaN transistors can operate at much higher temperatures and work at much higher voltages than GaAs transistors, they make ideal power amplifiers at microwave frequencies.
Technology Description:
In the 1980s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiated a major effort to develop solid-state microwave integrated circuits to replace the tubes, cavities and discrete devices used in microwave radar and telecommunication systems. New advances in semiconductor materials and processing enabled the development of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Technology.
Under a DARPA contract, Northrop Grumman Corporation (formerly TRW) successfully produced Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) MMICs using not only High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMT) but also the first manufacturable Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBT). This new GaAs MMIC technology was incorporated into various space applications and became NASA's and the Defense Department? chosen technology for advanced telecommunication systems. Following a "dual use" approach, Northrop Grumman transformed the technology for use in cellular-phone power amplifiers. A Northrop Grumman division is now the world's leading supplier of these power amplifiers. Northrop Grumman continues its MMIC technology development and has successfully produced Indium Phosphide (InP) based MMICs.
These advances in technology enable chip operations that are four to ten times faster than the previous MMIC technology and require less power. NASA and the Defense Department are beginning to use state of the art MMIC technology in new telecommunication and imaging systems. New commercial applications such as vehicle collision warning systems are in development.
In the past, Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits or MMICs were only used in military and space systems. MMIC technology has, however, in the meantime become fully mature, as well as affordable, in view of the multiple possible applications for this technology. That is why MMICs are playing an important role in today's telecom developments.
defind_algemeen_mmic_foto11
For instance, they enable the miniaturization of microwave and millimetre wave systems, at the same time boosting system performance. In the field of MMICs TNO takes a leading position from a worldwide point of view. Our design and test centre is one of the largest in Europe. Already since 1987 TNO has been focusing on the specification, the design, the testing and the application of MMICs. Many years of collaboration with the most important foundries in Europe and the US have enabled TNO to build up deep knowledge of all the processes underlying MMICs, such as MESFET, pHEMT, HBT GaAs, SiGe, GaN and SiC. The combination with the existing TNO expertise in the field of systems allowing the application of MMICs, as well as our extended design and test facilities, make TNO leading in this domain.
MADE TO MEASURE
MMIC products, such as vector modulators, filters, X-band amplifiers, multi-functional chips and L-band chipsets are made to measure by TNO, and if so required according to customer specifications. The designs of TNO are based on already available components from the extended library, as well as in-house developed models such as parameterized discontinuity models and electromagnetic 3D software. MMICs: TNO specifies, designs, tests and applies.
Summary
The successful design of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) is the fruit of a disciplined design approach. This three-day course covers, in detail, the theory, and practical strategies required to achieve first-pass design success. Specifically, the course covers the monolithic implementation of microwave circuits on GaAs and GaN substrates including instruction on processing, masks, simulation, layout, design rule checking, packaging, and testing. Numerous design examples are provided with emphasis on increasing yield, and reliability.
Students are encouraged to bring their laptop computers to class. CAD software is used in this course.
Learning objectives
Upon completing the course you will be able to:
Learn the advantages and limitations of MMIC Designs
Take advantage of the inherent benefits of MMICs over hybrid circuits.
Account for the parasitics of the active device.
Design biasing networks for active circuits.
Design gain amplifiers MMICs using lumped and distributed matching.
Design power amplifiers MMICs.
Improve the yield of MMIC chips.
Calculate the lifetime of MMIC chips in packaged and unpackaged assemblies.
Target Audience
Microwave engineers who want to design, fabricate, and test robust RF/Wireless MMICs, in the 1-50 GHz frequency range, will benefit from this comprehensive design course. Basic knowledge of microwave measurements and transmission line (Smith Chart) theory is assumed.
A Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit, or MMIC (sometimes pronounced "mimic"), is a type of integrated circuit (IC) device that operates at microwave frequencies (300 MHz to 300 GHz). These devices typically perform functions such as microwave mixing, power amplification, low-noise amplification, and high-frequency switching. Inputs and outputs on MMIC devices are frequently matched to a characteristic impedance of 50 ohms. This makes them easier to use, as cascading of MMICs does not then require an external matching network. Additionally, most microwave test equipment is designed to operate in a 50-ohm environment.
MMICs are dimensionally small (from around 1 mm² to 10 mm²) and can be mass-produced, which has allowed the proliferation of high-frequency devices such as cellular phones. MMICs were originally fabricated using gallium arsenide (GaAs), a III-V compound semiconductor. It has two fundamental advantages over silicon (Si), the traditional material for IC realisation: device (transistor) speed and a semi-insulating substrate. Both factors help with the design of high-frequency circuit functions. However, the speed of Si-based technologies has gradually increased as transistor feature sizes have reduced, and MMICs can now also be fabricated in Si technology. The primary advantage of Si technology is its lower fabrication cost compared with GaAs. Silicon wafer diameters are larger (typically 8" or 12" compared with 4" or 6" for GaAs) and the wafer costs are lower, contributing to a less expensive IC.
Originally, MMICs used MEtal-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MESFETs) as the active device. More recently High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), Pseudomorphic HEMTs and Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors have become common.
Other III-V technologies, such as indium phosphide (InP), have been shown to offer superior performance to GaAs in terms of gain, higher cutoff frequency, and low noise. However they also tend to be more expensive due to smaller wafer sizes and increased material fragility.
Silicon germanium (SiGe) is a Si-based compound semiconductor technology offering higher-speed transistors than conventional Si devices but with similar cost advantages.
Gallium nitride (GaN) is also an option for MMICs. Because GaN transistors can operate at much higher temperatures and work at much higher voltages than GaAs transistors, they make ideal power amplifiers at microwave frequencies.
Technology Description:
In the 1980s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) initiated a major effort to develop solid-state microwave integrated circuits to replace the tubes, cavities and discrete devices used in microwave radar and telecommunication systems. New advances in semiconductor materials and processing enabled the development of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Technology.
Under a DARPA contract, Northrop Grumman Corporation (formerly TRW) successfully produced Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) MMICs using not only High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMT) but also the first manufacturable Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBT). This new GaAs MMIC technology was incorporated into various space applications and became NASA's and the Defense Department? chosen technology for advanced telecommunication systems. Following a "dual use" approach, Northrop Grumman transformed the technology for use in cellular-phone power amplifiers. A Northrop Grumman division is now the world's leading supplier of these power amplifiers. Northrop Grumman continues its MMIC technology development and has successfully produced Indium Phosphide (InP) based MMICs.
These advances in technology enable chip operations that are four to ten times faster than the previous MMIC technology and require less power. NASA and the Defense Department are beginning to use state of the art MMIC technology in new telecommunication and imaging systems. New commercial applications such as vehicle collision warning systems are in development.
In the past, Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits or MMICs were only used in military and space systems. MMIC technology has, however, in the meantime become fully mature, as well as affordable, in view of the multiple possible applications for this technology. That is why MMICs are playing an important role in today's telecom developments.
defind_algemeen_mmic_foto11
For instance, they enable the miniaturization of microwave and millimetre wave systems, at the same time boosting system performance. In the field of MMICs TNO takes a leading position from a worldwide point of view. Our design and test centre is one of the largest in Europe. Already since 1987 TNO has been focusing on the specification, the design, the testing and the application of MMICs. Many years of collaboration with the most important foundries in Europe and the US have enabled TNO to build up deep knowledge of all the processes underlying MMICs, such as MESFET, pHEMT, HBT GaAs, SiGe, GaN and SiC. The combination with the existing TNO expertise in the field of systems allowing the application of MMICs, as well as our extended design and test facilities, make TNO leading in this domain.
MADE TO MEASURE
MMIC products, such as vector modulators, filters, X-band amplifiers, multi-functional chips and L-band chipsets are made to measure by TNO, and if so required according to customer specifications. The designs of TNO are based on already available components from the extended library, as well as in-house developed models such as parameterized discontinuity models and electromagnetic 3D software. MMICs: TNO specifies, designs, tests and applies.
Summary
The successful design of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) is the fruit of a disciplined design approach. This three-day course covers, in detail, the theory, and practical strategies required to achieve first-pass design success. Specifically, the course covers the monolithic implementation of microwave circuits on GaAs and GaN substrates including instruction on processing, masks, simulation, layout, design rule checking, packaging, and testing. Numerous design examples are provided with emphasis on increasing yield, and reliability.
Students are encouraged to bring their laptop computers to class. CAD software is used in this course.
Learning objectives
Upon completing the course you will be able to:
Learn the advantages and limitations of MMIC Designs
Take advantage of the inherent benefits of MMICs over hybrid circuits.
Account for the parasitics of the active device.
Design biasing networks for active circuits.
Design gain amplifiers MMICs using lumped and distributed matching.
Design power amplifiers MMICs.
Improve the yield of MMIC chips.
Calculate the lifetime of MMIC chips in packaged and unpackaged assemblies.
Target Audience
Microwave engineers who want to design, fabricate, and test robust RF/Wireless MMICs, in the 1-50 GHz frequency range, will benefit from this comprehensive design course. Basic knowledge of microwave measurements and transmission line (Smith Chart) theory is assumed.
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