Steve Rockwell

Emerging Commercial Applications Using the 60 GHz Unlicensed Band: Opportunities and Challenges

The 60 GHz band has emerged as an international spectrum opportunity for short-range wireless communication networks. In this paper, opportunities that may leverage 60 GHz and the technology trends that will impact the commercial deployment of systems utilizing the 60 GHz frequency band are discussed. Millimeter-wave frequency bands have historically been costly to utilize and traditionally used almost exclusively for government and non-consumer products. Recent and ongoing advances in semiconductor technology and low cost high frequency packaging can be leveraged for low cost solutions that enable widespread deployment. An example of such a system operating in the millimeter-wave spectrum where bandwidths of ~3 GHz have been achieved. Multi-gigabit data transmission and reception over significant distances has also been realized to demonstrate the potential throughput of such a broadband wireless system.

Technology for emerging commercial applications at millimeter-wave frequencies

The 60 GHz band has emerged as an international spectrum opportunity for short-range wireless communication networks. In this paper, technology trends that can impact the commercial deployment of systems utilizing millimeterwave frequency bands is discussed. Millimeter-wave frequency bands have historically been costly to utilize and traditionally used almost exclusively for government and non-consumer products. Recent and ongoing advances in semiconductor and low cost high frequency packaging can be leveraged for low cost solutions that enable widespread deployment. In order to demonstrate the potential throughput of a broadband wireless system utilizing millimeter-wave spectrum, Motorola Labs has demonstrated multi-gigabit data transmission and reception over significant distances.

Opportunities and Challenges in Utilizing Millimeter-Wave Spectrum for High Speed Wireless Communications

The 60 GHz band has emerged as an international spectrum opportunity for short-range wireless communication networks. In this paper, technology trends that can impact the commercial deployment of systems utilizing millimeter-wave frequency bands are discussed. Millimeter-wave frequency bands have historically been costly to utilize and traditionally used almost exclusively for government and non-consumer products. Recent and ongoing advances in semiconductor technology and low cost high frequency packaging can be leveraged for low cost solutions that enable widespread deployment. An example of such a system operating in the millimeter-wave spectrum where bandwidths of >3 GHz have been achieved. Multi-gigabit data transmission and reception over significant distances has also been realized to demonstrate the potential throughput of such a broadband wireless system.

Gigabit wireless personal area networks: Motivation, challenges and implementation

Demands in file size and transfer rates for consumer products are escalating, requiring gigabit rates for applications such as uncompressed streaming video. A number of wireless technologies are attempting to meet the gigabit-plus rates required for these applications. The most promising of these wireless solutions is found to be the use of the 60 GHz band. This technology can provide the needed bandwidth for the most demanding application - even with modest modulation and coding implementations. The objective of this work is to provide an up to date overview of gigabit wireless systems with a focus on wireless personal area networks.

An 8-Watt 3.5 GHz power amplifier with tunable matching

A high power 3-stage, S-band power amplifier MMIC implemented with a partially matched output stage is presented. This MMIC PA achieves 39 dBm output power and greater than 25% power added efficiency using 0.6 /spl mu/m PHEMT technology. Small-signal performance matches very well with modeled predictions. The amplifier is exceptionally stable under varying loads, has a bandwidth of several 100 MHz and is easily matched and tuned about the 3.5 GHz band with a simple output matching technique using chip caps, bond wires and duroid transmission lines.

MMIC Power Amplifier Output Combiner Network Considerations for S-Band Applications

The output combiner network for any power amplifier application that utilizes 2 or more parallel combined active devices is well known to be a critical component for a successful design. At higher microwave and millimeter frequencies, distributed corporate combiners are generally employed for a low loss, integrated combiner solution. This combiner technique can also be employed for lower microwave frequency applications, for example, for S-Band MMIC power amplifiers. Though relatively easy to model and design, these lower frequency applications present unique challenges of their own. This paper compares several possible solutions to the combiner network problem for the S-Band MMIC applications. A comparative study of the various solutions is presented. This study was used as a selection process for the design of a S-Band power amplifier MMIC that was subsequently fabricated, packaged and tested. Modeled versus measured performance, with respect to the output combiner network, shows very good agreement.

High frequency broadband communications

The 60 GHz band has emerged as an international spectrum opportunity for short-range wireless communication networks. In this paper, technology trends that can impact the commercial deployment of systems utilizing millimeter-wave frequency bands are discussed. Millimeter-wave frequency bands have historically been costly to utilize and traditionally used almost exclusively for government and non-consumer products. Recent and ongoing advances in semiconductor technology and low cost high frequency packaging can be leveraged for low cost solutions that enable widespread deployment. An example of such a system operating in the millimeter-wave spectrum where bandwidths of ~3 GHz have been achieved. Multi-gigabit data transmission and reception over significant distances has also been realized to demonstrate the potential throughput of such a broadband wireless system.

Performance of GaAs on silicon power amplifier for wireless handset applications

Recently RF devices formed by the epitaxial growth of GaAs on a Si substrate have been demonstrated. The RF performance of these new devices compares well with devices on a conventional GaAs substrate process. This new GaAs-on-Si technology has the potential for replacing expensive RF components such as power amplifiers with lower cost devices fabricated on GaAs-on-Si while still maintaining good DC-RF performance. This paper presents the RF performance of these GaAs/STO/Si devices and shows for the first time their viability as power amplifiers in wireless handsets.