Josef Böck

A 77GHz 4-channel automotive radar transceiver in SiGe

A fully integrated 4-channel automotive radar transceiver chip, integrated in a 200-GHz SiGe:C production technology, is presented. With a typical transmit power of 2 x +7 dBm at the antenna ports and all functions active, the chip draws a current of about 600 mA from a single 5.5 V supply. The design permits FMCW operation in the 76 to 77 GHz band at chip-backside temperatures from -40degC to +125degC.

46 Gb/s DEMUX, 50 Gb/s MUX, and 30 GHz static frequency divider in silicon bipolar technology

High-speed multiplexers, demultiplexers, and static frequency dividers are key electronic components in future optical broadband communication systems. In this paper we present a 50 Gb/s multiplexer, a 46 Gb/s demultiplexer, and a 30 GHz static frequency divider. The ICs were fabricated in a self-aligning double-polysilicon bipolar technology using state-of-the-art production process modules. The achieved results are record speeds not only for silicon, but, except for the static divider, for all semiconductor technologies. The high performance of this chipset shows that circuits in silicon bipolar technology will play an important role in future multigigabit-per-second fiber-optic communication systems, at data rates of 20 Gb/s or even at 40 Gb/s.

Embedded wafer level ball grid array (eWLB) technology for millimeter-wave applications

The embedded wafer level ball grid array (eWLB) is a novel packaging technology that shows excellent performance for millimeter-wave (mm-wave) applications. We present simulation and measurement results of single-ended and differential transmission lines realized using the thin-film redistribution layers (RDL) of an eWLB. We demonstrate the capabilities for the integration of passives on example of a configurable 17/18 GHz down-converter circuit realized in silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology with a fan-in eWLB differential inductor used for the LC tank. We compare the performance of differential chip-package-board transitions realized in an eWLB and in other common package types. We report an optimized compact chip-package-board transition in the eWLB. We obtain a simulated insertion loss as low as −0.65 dB and a return loss below −16 dB at 77 GHz without external matching networks. We introduce the concept of antenna integration in the eWLB and show examples of single-ended and differential antenna structures. Finally, we present for the first time a single-chip four-channel 77 GHz transceiver in SiGe integrated in the eWLB package together with four dipole antennas. The presented examples demonstrate that the eWLB technology is an attractive candidate for mm-wave applications including system-in-package (SiP).

86 GHz static and 110 GHz dynamic frequency dividers in SiGe bipolar technology

We present static and dynamic frequency dividers manufactured in a 200 GHz f/sub T/ SiGe bipolar technology. The static divider has a divide ratio of 32 and operates up to 86.2 GHz. The dynamic divider is based on regenerative frequency division and has a divide ratio of two. It operates up to 110 GHz (limited by the measurement equipment). The power consumption of the static and dynamic frequency dividers is 900 mW and 310 mW, respectively.

An 84 GHz Bandwidth and 20 dB Gain Broadband Amplifier in SiGe Bipolar Technology

This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and characterization of a lumped broadband amplifier in SiGe bipolar technology. The measured differential gain is 20 dB with a 3-dB bandwidth of more than 84 GHz, which is the highest bandwidth reported so far for broadband SiGe bipolar amplifiers. The resulting gain bandwidth product (GBW) is more than 840 GHz. The amplifier consumes a power of 990 mW at a supply of -5.5 V.

A 28-GHz monolithic integrated quadrature oscillator in SiGe bipolar technology

This paper presents a 28-GHz monolithic quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator (QVCO) realized in a preproduction 0.4-/spl mu/m SiGe bipolar technology with 85-GHz transit frequency. QVCOs efficiently drive quadrature modulators and demodulators in receivers or transmitters. At 28.9 GHz, the circuit provides -14.7 dBm of output power and phase noise of -84.2 dBc/Hz at a 1-MHz offset. The two output signals are in quadrature with phase error of about 5/spl deg/. Tuning of the QVCO may be done in the frequency range from 24.8 to 28.9 GHz with nearly constant output power. The circuit consumes 25.8 mA from the 5 V voltage supply.

A 40-Gb/s integrated clock and data recovery circuit in a 50-GHz f/sub T/ silicon bipolar technology

Clock and data recovery (CDR) circuits are key electronic components in future optical broadband communication systems. In this paper, we present a 40-Gb/s integrated CDR circuit applying a phase-locked loop technique. The IC has been fabricated in a 50-GHz f/sub T/ self-aligned double-polysilicon bipolar technology using only production-like process steps. The achieved data rate is a record value for silicon and comparable with the best results for this type of circuit realized in SiGe and III-V technologies.

A 77-GHz SiGe single-chip four-channel transceiver module with integrated antennas in embedded wafer-level BGA package

We present for the first time a fully operational 77-GHz silicon-germanium (SiGe) single-chip four-channel transceiver module with four integrated antennas assembled in an embedded wafer-level ball grid array (eWLB) package. This eWLB module has a size of 8 mm × 8 mm and a footprint with a standard ball pitch of 0.5 mm. The module includes four half-wave dipole antennas that are realized using the thin-film redistribution layer (RDL) of the eWLB. The antennas are connected to the transceiver chip using 100-Ω differential coplanar strip (CPS) lines realized in the RDL. The ground plane on top of the printed circuit board (PCB) is used as a reflector for the integrated antenna. Due to integration of the antenna in the package, all mm-wave signals are restricted to the package and no mm-wave transitions to the PCB are required. Moreover, the position of the reflector on the top metallization of the PCB is of great advantage, as it makes the integrated antenna unconstrained by the actual PCB material. Thus, the module can be assembled on any type of PCB. We show that using four radiating elements, it is possible to realize radar system with basic 2D beamforming capabilities. The presented results demonstrate the importance of coherent chip-package co-design and the excellent potential of the eWLB for mm-wave system-in-package (SiP) applications.

SiGe HBT and BiCMOS process integration optimization within the DOTSEVEN project

This paper describes the technology development activities within the European funding project DOTSEVEN done by Infineon and IHP. After half of the project duration Infineon has developed a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology with fT of 250 GHz and fmax of 370 GHz. State-of-the-art MMIC performance is demonstrated by a 77 GHz automotive radar transmitter. The suitability of IHṔs advanced SiGe HBT module with epitaxial base link for future industrial BiCMOS platforms is demonstrated by integrating it in Infineons 130 nm process resulting in an fmax of 500 GHz, 1.8 ps gate delay and a record 161 GHz static frequency divider. IHP has achieved an fmax of 570 GHz for the first time using an HBT concept with non-selective epitaxial base deposition and an elevated extrinsic base.

A monolithic 2.5 V, 1 W silicon bipolar power amplifier with 55% PAE at 1.9 GHz

A monolithic RF power amplifier for 1.8-2 GHz has been realized in a 50 GHz-f/sub T/ Si bipolar technology and is operating down to supply voltages as low as 1.2 V. The balanced 2-stage power amplifier uses two on-chip transformers as input-balun and for interstage matching, with a high coupling coefficient of k=0.84. At 1.2 V, 2.5 V, and 3 V supply voltage an output power of 0.22 W, 1 W and 1.4 W is achieved, at a power added efficiency of 47%, 55% and 55%, respectively at 1.9 GHz. The small-signal gain is 28 dB.