Yevgen Borokhovych

An 8-bit, 12 GSample/sec SiGe track-and-hold amplifier

We present the design and implementation of an ultra-high-speed SiGe BiCMOS track-and-hold amplifier (THA) for use in high-speed analog-to-digital converters. The use of a degeneration inductor in the input buffer significantly improves the performance of the THA. The THA was fabricated in a commercially-available 0.25 /spl mu/m 200 GHz SiGe HBT BiCMOS process technology. The circuit occupies an area of 1.2 mm/sup 2/, and exhibits -49.5 dBc of total harmonic distortion (THD) when operated at a sampling frequency of 12.5 GHz with an input frequency of 3.0 GHz. Operating from a 3.5 V supply, the total power consumption is 0.7 W. To our knowledge, this circuit is the fastest 8-bit Si-based THA achieved to date.

A low-power, 10GS/s track-and-hold amplifier in SiGe BiCMOS technology

This paper presents a low-power high-speed BiCMOS track-and-hold amplifier (THA). It combines the differential switched-emitter follower of (Vorenkamp and Verdaasdonk, 1992) with the low-droop output buffer presented in (Fiocchi et al., 2000). A test implementation consumes 70 mW of total power (30 mW THA). It works up to 15 GS/s, using minimum-size HBTs in a 0.25/spl mu/m 200 GHz SiGe BiCMOS technology. At 10 GS/s and an input signal of 1 GHz, the achieved THD corresponds to 6.8 bits accuracy. To our knowledge, the present circuit is by far the fastest THA with low power consumption and high accuracy.

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

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.

200 GHz interconnects for InP-on-BiCMOS integration

In order to combine the advantages of both InP-HBT and SiGe-BiCMOS technology, a 3D integration approach has been developed based on the transferred-substrate concept with BCB wafer bonding. Using this process vertical interconnects are realized that exhibit excellent broadband transmission properties up to 220 GHz. Insertion loss remains below 0.5dB up to W-band and 1dB to 220GHz. The interconnects can be described with good accuracy by 3D EM simulation over the full frequency range.

A 32 GSample/sec SiGe HBT comparator for ultra-high-speed analog-to-digital conversion

This paper presents a monolithic master-slave comparator in an ECL configuration with series-gating for ultra-high-speed medium-resolution analog-to-digital conversion. Implemented in a 200 GHz SiGe HBT technology, the complete chip die, including bondpads, is 1.731 /spl times/ 1.141 mm/sup 2/, with the comparator occupying only 0.0226 mm/sup 2/ when integrated as part of an ADC. It dissipates a total of 405 mW from a 3.5 V power supply. Operating with an input frequency of 5 GHz, the circuit can oversample up to 32 GS/s, with input sensitivity ranging from 5 mV/sub pp/ at 15 GS/s to 37 mV/sub pp/ at 32 GS/s. Operating at Nyquist, the comparator can sample up to 30 GS/s, with input sensitivity ranging from 12 mV/sub pp/ at 20 GS/s to 30 mV/sub pp/ at 30 GS/s. To our knowledge, this comparator achieves the best input sensitivity-sampling rate combination when compared with other standalone comparators in literature.

4-bit, 16 GS/s ADC with new parallel reference network

This paper presents a high-speed 4 bit full-flash Analog-to-Digital Converter with a new parallel reference network for an UWB radar. The ADC is implemented in 190 GHz SiGe BiCMOS technology, has more than 6 GHz effective resolution input bandwidth and operates up to 16 GSample/s. Power dissipation is 1.15 W including test buffers and 750 mW of the converter itself.

4-bit, 15 GS/s ADC in SiGe

This paper presents a high-speed 4 bits full-flash Analog-to-Digital Converter for an UWB radar applications, implemented in 190 GHz SiGe BiCMOS technology. The ADC occupies 1.5 × 1.5 mm2, including bondpads. Converter has 6 GHz input bandwidth and operates up to 15 GSample/s. Power dissipation is 1 W including test buffers and 600 mW for a core part itself.

10 GS/s 8-bit bipolar THA in SiGe technology

Design and measurement of the bipolar Track-and-Hold Amplifier is described in this paper. The circuit works at the sample rate of 10 GS/s and has linearity of 8-bit at input signal of 3 GHz. Based on the open-loop switched emitter follower architecture, the circuit implies several techniques to achieve 8-bit performance at GHz range. An input buffer and switch were modified to decrease errors and increase the speed.

Low-power BiCMOS track-and-hold circuit with reduced signal feedthrough

this paper presents a new circuit for high-speed BiCMOS track-and-holds. The proposed approach improves the signal feedthrough in the hold mode and the bandwidth in the tracking mode. A prototype circuit is implemented in a 0.13 µm BiCMOS technology, operating at 10 GS/s and consuming 19 mW from 3.3 V supply. It is shown that the circuit is capable of providing a harmonic distortion below −50 dB.

HaLoS – Integrated RF-Hardware Components for Ultra-Wideband Localization and Sensing

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) sensors exploit very weak electromagnetic waves within the lower microwave range for sounding the objects or processes of interest. The interaction of electromagnetic waves with matter provides interesting options to gain information from a great deal of different scenarios. To mention only a few, it enables the assessment of the state of building materials and constructions, the investigation of biological tissue, the detection and localization of persons buried by rubble after an earthquake or unauthorized people hidden behind walls, and much more [1]. The advantage of such methods consists in their non-destructive and continuously running measurement procedure which may work at high speed and in contactless fashion.