Sidina Wane

Full-Wave Analysis of Inhomogeneous Deep-Trench Isolation Patterning for Substrate Coupling Reduction and

Full-wave analysis of deep-trench isolation patterning (DTP) is presented for substrate coupling reduction and Q-factor improvement. Effects of the buried layer (BL) doping level and grounding mechanisms on substrate coupling are analyzed. Influences of induced depletion regions on substrate coupling are investigated. Q-factor improvement of on-chip RF inductors resulting from the interruption of BLs and part of the lossy substrate by DTP to limit electric and magnetic energy dissipation is studied. The combination of DTP with topological optimization demonstrates high Q-factor enhancement. Distributed capacitances and resistances resulting from the BL and substrate grating are evaluated. Coupling between inductors and limits of representations by lumped-element equivalent circuits to account for distributed effects are discussed. Comparison of obtained results with two-and-one-half- and three-dimensional-based commercial electromagnetic tools and with measurement data for reference structures are presented

Q

A combination of the transmission line matrix (TLM) and the transverse wave formulation (TWF) method based on a diakoptics approach is presented for efficient modeling of multiscale and multilayered planar structures. The formal similarities of TLM and TWF enable a direct diakoptics approach, partitioning the simulation domain into a TLM and a TWF region. The computationally inefficient time-domain convolution of the TLM wave pulses with the impulse responses at the domain separation interfaces is replaced by a vector multiplication in frequency-domain leading to a considerable reduction of the total simulation time.

-Factor Improvement

In this paper a passive guaranteed wide-band equivalent circuit derivation methodology, attempting to bridge physical geometry considerations with equivalent circuits model extractions, is proposed. Electromagnetic (EM) eigen-states formulation is introduced to bridge between physical topology (geometry) and equivalent network architectures. Instead of casting global Z or Y parameters in pole-residue expansions following Π or T-networks, the proposed methodology considers eigen-states input impedances/admittances as primary goal functions to derive in canonical equivalent circuit models. While classical Π or T representations are based on global ground assumptions, the proposed methodology refers to local ground references. The validity of the broadband extraction methodology is demonstrated through correlations with RF measurement carried out on CPW transmission lines and coupled RF inductors up to very high frequencies.

Interfacing the TLM and the TWF method using a diakoptics approach

This paper presents design solutions for signal detectors and Antenna on-Chip (AoC) using a state-of-the-art (SiGe) BiCMOS technology. Both CML (Current-Mode-Logic) and CMOS detectors are designed, fabricated and compared in terms of their performances such as conversion gain and robustness against process variations. Wide-band Antenna-on-Chip working in the range 60GHz to 94 GHz are designed, fabricated and characterized. Several Antenna-on-Chip structures are proposed to evaluate bandwidth and radiation efficiency performances. Near-field antenna couplings are experimentally evaluated using different technology variants with different silicon substrate thickness values. Schottky diodes are designed and characterized for feasibility analysis of THz detection, mixing and down-conversion.

Broadband equivalent circuit derivation for multi-port circuits based on eigen-state formulation

This paper proposes a global methodology combining electromagnetic (EM) analysis with chip power switching macro-modeling for accurate co-design of re-distribution layers (RDLs). Differences between segregated approach (where chip, RDL and package are analysed separately and then combined following cascade techniques) and integrated/global approach (where Chip, RDL and package are analysed as one whole entity) are qualified, yielding suggested guidelines. The proposed methodologies are applied to real-world NXP-semiconductors multi-die systems, and correlations with time-domain and frequency-domain measurements are discussed for dedicated test carriers.

Integration of Antenna-on-Chip and signal detectors for applications from RF to THz frequency range in SiGe technology

A partition-recomposition methodology based on internal port concept associated to auxiliary sources, is proposed for electromagnetic (EM) analysis of SiP (system-in-package) off-chip and on-chip passive circuitry towards optimized passive and active frequency and time domain co-simulation. Attributes of internal ports and associated de-embedding procedures for local ground references are discussed. Application of the proposed methodology to off-chip SiP multi-conductors and functional components is presented. A broadband extraction methodology is applied to derive, from EM simulation results or measurement data of passive structures, Spice-compatible models for transient/SSN (simultaneous switching noise) analysis.

Chip-package co-design methodology for global co-simulation of re-distribution layers (RDL)

X-Topology architecture accounting for distributed floating local ground references is proposed for variation-aware design and characterization of passives. The ability of the proposed solution to map physical design parameters into broadband physics-based equivalent circuit model extraction is demonstrated based on design of low-loss integrated coplanar strip (CPS) lines on anisotropic DTI (Deep-Trench Insulator) patterning realized in advanced SiGe BiCMOS technology. Perspectives for use of X-topology in enabling Q-controllable components with compact broadband equivalent circuit representation fully scalable with respect to the device geometry and architecture are drawn.

Partition-Recomposition Methodology for Accurate Electromagnetic Analysis of SiP Passive Circuitry

This work investigates Silicon-based passive detectors in sub-millimeter and terahertz frequency range for imaging applications. Comparison of detection mechanisms related to the non-linear behavior of both MOSFET and Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBD) are discussed and figures of merit are introduced for their analysis. Influence of detector arrays geometric topology on their performances (Cutoff frequency, parasitic, Quality-factor, Sensitivity, Responsiveness, etc.) is studied based on careful experimental characterizations. Importance of proper Co-Design of Detector-Antenna system as a unified entity is underlined.

Variation-aware X-topology architecture with local ground references for broadband characterization of passives

Network oriented modeling of passive microwave multiports provides a useful representation of the linear device and leads to the reduction of the required computer time and memory capacity for the synthesis procedure. The Brunes multiport method allows to represent the microwave structure in the predefined frequency band as a combination of the lossless connection ideal transformers network and lossy lumped elements with a minimum number of reactive elements. The system identification procedure defines the order of the lumped elements model and the positions of poles and zeros in the complex frequency plane. The simulation of the scattering parameters for the two-port formed by two coupled folded mm-wave antennas for automotive radar applications shows a good agreement with the corresponding measurements.

Integrated Schottky Diodes for sub-millimeter and THz passive imaging: Influence of detector arrays topology

The design of a silicon monolithic integrated antenna for millimeterwave sensing and on-chip communication applications is presented. To enable an efficient co-design with monolithic integrated mixed-signal circuits on the system-on-chip level, a compact lumped element circuit model for an on-chip communication link is extracted from measurement data of the on-chip communication link. The circuit model is of generalized Foster type and accounts also for the losses. Design, measurement and modeling results are presented.