High Volume, Cost-Effective Production Testing of MMICs in the UK

Abstract:
Every packaged IC needs to be tested to confirm it can meet its specified performance. This entails testing enough parameters to verify functionality whilst adopting an approach that keeps test time, and hence cost, down to an acceptable level. As device operating frequencies increase there are additional challenges such as the impact of the test socket on RF performance and ensuring correlation between soldered-down performance and test socket performance. Other challenges such as thermal management and ensuring repeatability must also be addressed.

High volume test of packaged ICs often takes place in locations where labour costs are low and the impact on unit price can be minimised. However, with the right approach it is possible to undertake cost-effective high-volume production test of packaged RF, microwave and mmWave ICs in the UK. This requires careful design of the test set-up, optimisation of the test procedures and appropriate levels of automation.

This presentation will describe the approach taken to do this, including details of the load-board design, test procedure optimisation, and automation of the test procedure

Bio:
Dr. Robert Smith is Commercial Director for PRFI, his role includes overseeing the design of mmWave GaN power amplifiers, broadband MMICs, LNAs and RF switches. His experience encompasses designing on GaAs and GaN processes at Qorvo, Wolfspeed and WIN Semiconductors. Before joining PRFI, Robert designed transmitter modules for active phased array radar.

He received a Ph.D. in microwave engineering from Cardiff University, where he specialised in broadband power amplifier design. Robert is a reviewer for IEEE Microwave and Wireless Component Letters, has written multiple conference and industrial journal papers and is on the Editorial Review Board for Microwave Journal. He received his MBA in Technology Management in 2023.

Electro-Thermal Simulation for RF Power Applications

Abstract:
Electro-thermal simulation analysis is critical in designing and optimizing various electronic systems, such as power electronics, integrated circuits, and sensors. In electro-thermal simulation analysis, electrical and thermal models are integrated to simulate the device’s behavior under different operating conditions. The electrical model considers the device’s electrical properties, while the thermal model considers the heat transfer mechanisms, such as conduction, convection, and radiation. The simulation results provide valuable insights into the device’s performance, reliability, and safety. This presentation will explain how the Cadence Celsius ™ Thermal Solver uses design data such as layout geometries, material properties, and dissipated power simulation results from Microwave Office® to provide designers with thermal heat map visualization and operating temperature information critical to design success.

Bio:
After studying Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Dundee, Graeme started his career in 1997 as an RFIC designer working for Hewlett Packard (subsequently, Agilent Technologies) designing high-speed, low-power fiber-optic transceiver ICs for the telecoms market. In 2004, he moved to Powerwave Technologies, working on RFICs targeting cellular base station applications for both high power and picocell base stations. In 2006, Graeme left Powerwave and joined Applied Wave Technologies (AWR Corporation), a small but growing startup in the mmWave EDA space. In the 18 years since, he’s held technical and sales roles at AWR and currently leads the AWR applications team in EMEA, now part of Cadence, after its acquisition in 2020.

Establishing Traceability of Wafer-Level Measurements at mm-Wave Frequencies: Progress and Recent Achievements

Abstract:
Traceability of S-parameters to fundamental SI units is crucial for accurately assessing uncertainties in microwave measurements across the industry. S-parameters are the foundation for defining microwave product specifications. Understanding the sources and minimizing uncertainties of measured S-parameters is crucial for confident cross-team collaboration during the product development phase and the final product positioning on the market.

For over 30 years, engineers and metrologists have worked to establish a robust traceability chain for wafer-level system calibration and measurements. This presentation reviews recent progress in understanding, quantifying, and propagating uncertainties through the wafer-level mm-wave calibration and measurement process. We will share examples of establishing the traceability for corrected S-parameters. Also, we will provide recommendations on how to reduce calibration and measurement uncertainties, relevant for both wafer-level and connectorized environment.

The topic and the methods discussed are appealing to professionals involved in developing next-generation semiconductor processes and mm-wave ICs.

Bio:
Andrej Rumiantsev received his Diploma-Engineer degree (with highest honors) in Telecommunication systems from the Belarusian State University (BSUIR), Minsk, Belarus, and the Dr.-Ing. Degree (with summa cum laude) in Electrical Engineering from Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) Cottbus, Germany, in 1994 and 2014, respectively. He joined SUSS MicroTec Test Systems (from 2010 Cascade Microtech) in 2001, where he held various engineering product management and marketing positions. He significantly contributed to developing the RF wafer probes, wafer-level calibration standards, calibration software, and probe systems. Dr. Rumiantsev is currently with MPI Corporation, holding the position of Director of RF Technologies of the Advanced Semiconductor Test Division. His research interests include RF calibration and wafer-level measurement techniques for advanced semiconductor devices.

Dr. Rumiantsev is a member of the IEEE MTT-3 Microwave Measurements Committee, the chair of IEEE MTT-S P2822 Working Group “Recommended Practice for Microwave, Millimeter-wave and THz On-Wafer Calibrations, De-Embedding and Measurements” and the ExCom member of the Automatic RF Techniques Group (ARFTG). He holds multiple patents in wafer-level RF calibration and measurement techniques. His doctoral thesis was awarded as “Best Dissertation of 2014 at Brandenburg University of Technologies.

New Space – New Solutions – Innovation driving the transition from TWTAs to SSPAs at higher mmWave Frequencies

Abstract:
Traditionally, Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTAs) have been the go-to choice for applications requiring high power in the upper mmWave spectrum, such as ground stations for satellite feeder links. However, recent technical advancements in semiconductor processes and related amplifier designs, along with innovative, ultra-low loss waveguide combining techniques, are driving a transition in the emerging new space market towards Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) with high power offerings at frequencies exceeding 100 GHz. This presentation will explore these advancements and provide a comparative analysis of TWTAs and SSPAs, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of each technology.

Bio:
Dr. Tudor Williams is an accomplished Engineer, Technical Manager, and Strategist with expertise in Semiconductors, Space, Telecommunications, and Aerospace/Defence. Presently serving as the CTO at Filtronic, Dr. Williams is responsible for spearheading and developing the technical strategy and market roadmaps for Filtronic. He leads key initiatives in forging industrial/academic partnerships and collaborations. Prior to joining Filtronic, Dr. Williams held the position of Interim Technical Director at the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult in South Wales. In this role, he steered the strategic direction in application areas such as Net Zero, Future Telecoms, and Intelligent Sensing. Earlier in his career, Dr. Williams served as an Engineering Manager at Mesuro, a startup originating from Cardiff University that specialized in commercialising semiconductor test equipment. Beginning as the sole engineer, he nurtured and expanded the team before the company was acquired by a Canadian competitor. Dr. Williams holds a Master of Engineering degree from Swansea University and a PhD from Cardiff University.

Digital Beamforming in KA-band Satcom: Calibration Challenges and Impacts of Phase Noise

Abstract:
With advancement in technology and space-economics, satellite communication is ushering in a new wave of digital revolution that will complement the advancements in terrestrial communications. New LEO satellite constellations covering a very diverse application space from Direct to Device and broadband communications in Ku and Ka bands have emerged or plan to emerge in near future.  High Capacity Digital Payloads with large number of beams with wide coverage and ability to dynamically move capacity are at the forefront of this revolution, with digital beamforming  at its core,  powering new architectures of electronically steerable Phased Array Antennas. This presentation explores some of salient features of digital beamforming, the advantages it offers and the technical challenges of calibrating the smart antenna arrays. The presentation also covers the impact of jitter and phase noise in the context of digital beamforming in particular for Ka band applications.

Bio:
Divaydeep Sikri is  General Manager and CTO Antenna at SatixFy. He is responsible for all R&D activities associated with Antenna Technology including Digital Beamforming ASICs, companion RFIC chips and Electronically Steerable Multibeam Antennas based on SatixFy’s ASICs. He is the chief architect of SatixFy’s industry leading  first and second Generation Digital Beamformer ASICs. Prior to joining SatixFy,  he led Modem System activities  Qualcomm for 12 years and was involved in development and commercialization of Advanced Rx Interference Cancellation architectures for 2G, 3G and 4G  as well as pioneering work in Multi-SIM transceiver designs.  Divaydeep Sikri holds more than 40 patents in cellular and smart antenna array technology. He holds Masters degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology

Self-interference Cancellation: The Future of FDD in Mobile Devices

Abstract:
Today’s mobile devices rely on fixed frequency filter, such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters, for frequency division duplex (FDD) operation. These are used to prevent self-interference, wherein the relatively high-powered transmit signal to the receiver, preventing reception of receive signals. SAW and BAW filters provide the high selectivity needed to attenuate self-interference in FDD systems, which typically operate with narrow duplex separation frequencies. A drawback of this approach is that these filters are fixed to a specific frequency band, meaning that multiple duplexer components, and switches for bands selection, are needed to support multi-band operation. This architecture leads to increased size, cost, and RF front-end losses, as the number of supported bands increases. Self-interference cancellation is a fundamentally different approach, in which a copy of the transmitted signal is processed to create a cancellation signal, which is then injected into the receive signal path to cancel self-interference. Self-interference cancellation can replace SAW and BAW filters with a frequency tunable FDD RF front-end architecture, replacing multiple components with a single circuit and thereby reducing the size of the RF front-end. This presentation provides and overview of self-interference cancellation technology, discussing the pros and cons of different approaches to implementing self-interference cancellation in the context of mobile devices.

Bio:
Inventor and entrepreneur, Dr. Leo Laughlin’s award-winning research into signal cancellation technology forms the basis of Forefront RF. Previously a Research fellow at the University of Bristol, his pioneering work demonstrates how fixed frequency filters (a critical component in all wireless enabled devices) can be replaced with a tuneable alternative, simplifying product design, and saving space inside connected devices. Leo has a doctorate in wireless communication, has had his work published in top academic and industry journals and is a named inventor on several patents. In 2020 he co-founded Forefront RF and is now working with an experienced RF experts to build the company and bring this ground-breaking technology to market.

A Novel Solution for Board Design Compatibility with High-Rejection LTCC Filters

Abstract:
LTCC filters have been traditionally designed to deliver around 30 dB of stopband rejection. Mini-Circuits has innovated LTCC filter capabilities to produce novel designs (BFHK series) with rejection up to 90 dB and beyond. However, these high-rejection designs require a launch from a stripline to achieve their full rejection performance due to the coaxial input of the RF pads. This constraint poses a challenge for PCB designers looking to incorporate the BFHK-series onto their microstrip and coplanar waveguide traces. This presentation introduces an interposer board that allows universal adaptation of BFHK-series LTCC filters (BFHKI-series) to be mountable onto microstrip and coplanar waveguide traces. Implementations of the BFHKI-series onto both stripline and coplanar waveguide launches are presented and their performance compared with the base BFHK-series, demonstrating significant performance benefits over traditional LTCC filters and other filter technologies.

Bio:
William Yu is an RF design engineer with the Mini-Circuits LTCC design team. He started his career in the RF industry at Mini-Circuits in 2017. After gaining experience in the Engineering Test and Applications functions, he joined the LTCC design team in 2020 where he has worked on numerous LTCC filter designs for mmWave and high-rejection applications.

Doherty design considerations for mm- and cm-wave applications

Abstract:
The Doherty Power Amplifier is the workhorse of mobile base-station transmitters.  In conjunction with powerful digital linearizers, it provides efficient operation when amplifying the demanding OFDM signals required in modern mobile systems, allowing for more sustainable operational costs of the mobile infrastructure.

However, its application to the mm- and cm-wave is not straightforward, and it has been limited so far. This presentation will try to understand why this has (not) happened, simplifying the picture and deriving the key limiting factors. In doing so, it will also identify some possible routes to make the Doherty a viable solution for higher-frequency transmitters. The presentation will discuss some practical examples of experiments on Doherty Power Amplifiers from 7 GHz up to 30 GHz.

Bio:

Roberto Quaglia received his PhD from Politecnico di Torino, Italy, in 2012.  After working as a Research Assistant at Politecnico di Torino, he joined Huawei Technologies Italia in Milan, working on some of the first 5G NR2 prototypes.  He joined Cardiff University in 2015 under a European Fellowship, and in 2017, he became an academic at Cardiff University.  His research focuses on the characterization and design of power amplifiers, predominantly on back-off efficiency enhancement techniques.