Chafik Meliani

Fast-Switching GaN-Based Lateral Power Schottky Barrier Diodes With Low Onset Voltage and Strong Reverse Blocking

GaN-based heterostructure lateral Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) grown on n-SiC substrate are investigated in this letter. These SBDs own very low onset voltage VF = 0.43 V, high reverse blocking VBR >; 1000 V, very low capacitive charge of 0.213 nC/A, and a very fast recovery time of 10 ps. These unique qualities are achieved by combining lateral topology, GaN:C back-barrier epitaxial structure, fully recessed Schottky anode (φB = 0.43 eV), and slanted anode field plate in a robust and innovative process. Diode operation at elevated temperature up to 200 °C was also characterized.

220–250-GHz Phased-Array Circuits in 0.13-

This paper describes the design of 220-250-GHz phased-array circuits in 0.13- μm BiCMOS technology. The design aspects of the active and passive devices that are used in the phased-array systems, such as balun, Wilkinson divider, and branch-line coupler, are presented in details. A millimeter-wave vector modulator is designed to support both amplitude and phase control for beam-forming applications. The designed circuits are integrated together to form a four-channel 220-250-GHz phased-array chip. Each channel exhibits 360° phase control with 18 dB of amplitude control. The entire chip draws 167 mA from a 3.3-V supply. The millimeter-wave phase shifting and the low-power consumption makes it ideal for highly integrated scalable beam-forming systems for both imaging, radiometry, and communication applications.

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A broadband GaN monolithic power amplifier covering the L to X bands is presented as is required for various applications in measurement set-ups and multi-band systems. It is based on 8 transistor cells with 4 times 50 mm gate width each following the distributed amplifier concept. The amplifier achieves 10 dB broadband small-signal gain and a 3 dB cut-off frequency of 11 GHz. The circuit delivers between 1.4 and 2.2 W over the bandwidth from 2 GHz up to 10 GHz. At the maximum output power a PAE higher than 20% is achieved.

SiGe BiCMOS Technology

The capabilities of modern semiconductor manufacturing offer remarkable possibilities to be applied in life science research as well as for its commercialization. In this review, the technology modules available in micro- and nano-electronics are exemplarily presented for the case of 250 and 130 nm technology nodes. Preparation procedures and the different transistor types as available in complementary metal-oxide-silicon devices (CMOS) and BipolarCMOS (BiCMOS) technologies are introduced as key elements of comprehensive chip architectures. Techniques for circuit design and the elements of completely integrated bioelectronics systems are outlined. The possibility for life scientists to make use of these technology modules for their research and development projects via so-called multi-project wafer services is emphasized. Various examples from diverse fields such as (1) immobilization of biomolecules and cells on semiconductor surfaces, (2) biosensors operating by different principles such as affinity viscosimetry, impedance spectroscopy, and dielectrophoresis, (3) complete systems for human body implants and monitors for bioreactors, and (4) the combination of microelectronics with microfluidics either by chip-in-polymer integration as well as Si-based microfluidics are demonstrated from joint developments with partners from biotechnology and medicine. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:355-377. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1367 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

A Broadband GaN-MMIC power amplifier for L to X Bands

A 246 GHz source in InP-on-BiCMOS technology is presented. It consists of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) in BiCMOS technology and a frequency tripler in transferred-substrate InP-HBT technology, which is integrated on top of the BiCMOS MMIC in a wafer-level bonding process. The VCO operates at 82 GHz with 6 dBm output power and the combined circuit delivers -10 dBm at 246 GHz, with a phase noise of -87 dBc/Hz at 2 MHz offset. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first hetero-integrated signal source in this frequency range reported so far. The results illustrate the potential of the hetero integrated process for sub-mm-wave frequencies.

Technology modules from micro- and nano-electronics for the life sciences.

Promising transistor results of an InP transferred substrate (TS) technology are presented. ft and fmax are reported as high as 420 and 450 GHz, respectively. Processing has been developed to a full monolithic microwave integrated circuit compatible technology with metal-insulator-metal capacitors, NiCr resistors, and a multilevel wiring scheme. As an example, traveling-wave amplifiers (TWAs) have been designed and realized in a microstrip environment. Simulations of the environment have been done, and are presented in this paper. They have then been used as a design kit to perform circuit simulations. The TWAs demonstrate a gain of 12.8 dB and a 3-dB cutoff frequency fc of 70 GHz. To the authors knowledge, this is the highest proven bandwidth of a broadband amplifier in TS technology.

A 246 GHz Hetero-Integrated Frequency Source in InP-on-BiCMOS Technology

The bandwidth potential of cascode HBT-based broadband amplifiers following the traveling-wave amplifier (TWA) concept is studied. An approximate expression for the gain of the circuit is derived, which is based on the transistor small-signal model and the artificial transmission-line parameters. In this way, a relation between the HBT cutoff frequencies f_T and f_max and the 3-dB cutoff frequency f_c of the amplifier is obtained. This is very useful for assessing the gain-bandwidth potential of a given HBT technology for cascode-based TWAs. Applying these results, we study the potential of two technologies with different f_max / f_T ratios, an InP technology with f_max / f_T of 120 GHz/190 GHz, and a GaAs technology with f_max / f_T of 170 GHz/36 GHz. The higher influence of /max (compared to f_t) on f_c is quantitatively demonstrated. TWAs in both technologies were realized and measured, and good agreement between measurement and theory is obtained.

Traveling-Wave Amplifiers in Transferred Substrate InP-HBT Technology

A broadband amplifier suitable for high-bitrate modulator driver applications is fabricated using a GaAs-HBT process with f r and fmu of 45 and I 7 0 GHr, respectively. The design takes optimum advantage of the available technology, to obtain a broadband gain of 12 dB and a 3dB cut-off-frequency of 24 GHL A smooth decrease around f c is chosen in order to keep a positive gain value at higher frequencies and a relatively frat group delay, which is a key condition for the eye-diagram opening. This appears to be the best way to combine high bitrate signal amplification with sujj7ciently high output voltage for a relatively low f r HBT technology, compared to others, as InP HEMT or GaAs pHEMT. According to the NRZ power spectra, 40 Gb/s signal amplification is possible with such characteristics since the smooth slope condition is fulfilled. Eye diagram measurements at 40 Gb/s with several input signal swings are presented A 4 Vpp output well-opened 40 Gb/s eye diagram is obtained with a large signalgain of 12 dB. This is a promising resuit for 40 Gb/s modulator driver applications using low-cost standard technologies and an interesting perfomiance in terms of a marimurn broadband5 to (f7, fnp3 ratio.

Bandwidth Potential of Cascode HBT-Based TWAs as a Function of Transistor

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