Duncan Platt

Integrated 79 GHz UWB automotive radar front-end based on Hi-Mission MCM-D silicon platform

A highly integrated silicon platform (Hi-Mission) for high frequency applications is introduced. This platform utilizes heterogeneous MCM-D technology with integrated passive devices together with silicon and GaAs MMIC technology developed for the automotive UWB radar (SRR) frequency band from 77 – 81 GHz. Developments are described in the area of MCM-D process development, MMIC, integrated phased array antenna, module design and assembly process development. The demonstrator is composed of two test vehicles designed for conducted and radiated measurements respectively. Test results are presented at the component and module level.

Millimeter-wave tapered slot antenna for integration on micromachined low resistivity silicon substrates

This paper presents a millimeter-wave tapered slot antenna (TSA) for integration on a 325 μm thick low resistivity silicon substrate, using micromachining techniques. By suspending the radiator on a 5.5 mm x 1.5 mm large benzocyclobutene (BCB) membrane, good antenna performance is achieved at millimeter-wave frequencies. Port impedance and radiation patterns are studied numerically and experimentally. Measurements indicate that this antenna features good impedance matching (S11 ≪ −10 dB) and a gain of ≫ 4.6 dBi from 75 to 110 GHz. The measured results are in good agreement with numerical simulations.

Circuits and system simulations for 100Gb/s optical SCM transmission

The SIAM Medea+ project is developing circuits for 100Gbit/s optical communications for use in the next generation Ethernet backbone network. One promising bandwidth-efficient technology is sub-carrier multiplexing (SCM) where quadrature modulated (QAM) signals on different carrier frequencies are combined and subsequently encoded onto an optical carrier. This transceiver approach capitalizes on the increasing speed of silicon technology to perform more of the signal processing in the electrical domain before converting to light. An advanced 65nm CMOS process on HR-SOI substrate will be evaluated for use in implementing the electrical SCM transmitter and receiver suitable for 100Gbit/s transmission. The authors will present the development of a SCM transceiver link model within AWRs Virtual System Simulation (VSS) environment. This model allows the influence of component performance in the electrical domain, particularly non-linearity and noise, to be assessed with respect to the SCM link performance requirements. The design of critical component building blocks in the 65nm CMOS SOI process such as IQ modulators, power combiners and LNAs for the SCM transceiver will be presented. The performance of these components is then assessed in the system simulation environment to investigate the capabilities of CMOS for next generation optical networking with the SCM architecture.

The C3PO project: a laser communication system concept for small satellites

The satellite market is shifting towards smaller (micro and nanosatellites), lowered mass and increased performance platforms. Nanosatellites and picosatellites have been used for a number of new, innovative and unique payloads and missions. This trend requires new concepts for a reduced size, a better performance/weight ratio and a reduction of onboard power consumption. In this context, disruptive technologies, such as laser-optical communication systems, are opening new possibilities. This paper presents the C3PO1 system, “advanced Concept for laser uplink/ downlink CommuniCation with sPace Objects”, and the first results of the development of its key technologies. This project targets the design of a communications system that uses a ground-based laser to illuminate a satellite, and a Modulating Retro-Reflector (MRR) to return a beam of light modulated by data to the ground. This enables a downlink, without a laser source on the satellite. This architecture suits well to small satellite applications so as high data rates are potentially provided with very low board mass. C3PO project aims to achieve data rates of 1Gbit/s between LEO satellites and Earth with a communication payload mass of less than 1kilogram. In this paper, results of the initial experiments and demonstration of the key technologies will be shown.

A highly integrated heterogeneous micro- and mm-wave platform

A highly integrated platform for micro- and mm-wave frequency applications is introduced. The platform utilizes heterogeneous process modules with integrated passive and tunable devices together with silicon and GaAs MMIC technology to achieve outstanding flexibility. The different process modules are accounted for and their feasibility is proven through a number of application demonstrators from 23GHz telecom backhauling and 77GHz automotive radar indicating excellent performance.

High sensitivity broadband 360GHz passive receiver for TeraSCREEN

TeraSCREEN is an EU FP7 Security project aimed at developing a combined active, with frequency channel centered at 360 GHz, and passive, with frequency channels centered at 94, 220 and 360 GHz, imaging system for border controls in airport and commercial ferry ports. The system will include automatic threat detection and classification and has been designed with a strong focus on the ethical, legal and practical aspects of operating in these environments and with the potential threats in mind. Furthermore, both the passive and active systems are based on array receivers with the active system consisting of a 16 element MIMO FMCW radar centered at 360 GHz with a bandwidth of 30 GHz utilizing a custom made direct digital synthesizer. The 16 element passive receiver system at 360 GHz uses commercial Gunn diode oscillators at 90 GHz followed by custom made 90 to 180 GHz frequency doublers supplying the local oscillator for 360 GHz sub-harmonic mixers. This paper describes the development of the passive antenna module, local oscillator chain, frequency mixers and detectors used in the passive receiver array of this system. The complete passive receiver chain is characterized in this paper.

Recent developments in electroabsorption modulators at Acreo Swedish ICT

Three types of electroabsorption modulators (EAMs) based on III-V semiconductor multiple quantum wells (MQW) are presented in this work. One is a novel monolithic integration traveling-wave EAM for an analog optical transmitter/transceiver to achieve integrated photonic mm-wave functions for broadband connectivity. Another one is composed of an integrated EAM 1D array in a photonic beam-former as a Ku-band phased array antenna for seamless aeronautical networking through integration of data links, radios, and antennas. The third one addresses the use of MQW EAMs in free space optical links through biological tissue for transcutaneous communication.