Development of High Performance Frontend Integrated Circuits for Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Measurement Instruments(1/3)

This project will develop the high-speed frontend modules and integrated circuits for theapplications of the microwave and millimeter-wave (MMW) measurement instruments, and the circuits willbe implemented using a few advanced silicon-based and III-V compound semiconductor processes. For thetime-domain measurements, the bandwidths of the developed circuits are 10 and 50 GHz, respectively, andthe sampling rate is from 10 to 60 GS/s. For the frequency-domain measurements, the operation frequencywindows will be Q, V, and W-bands. The research works contain the development of the system analysis,MMW integrated circuits (ICs), and the package technology for the MMW instruments. The multi-phaselow-jitter clock generator, broadband amplifier, track-and-hold, and down-conversion ICs will be designedand studied. The developed ICs and modules will be employed in the hand-held instruments, such as oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer, to further reduce the cost, size, weight, and dc power consumption of theMMW frontend module, and also enhance the performance. The research of the low-jitter clock generatorwill focus on multi-phase generation, low dc power consumption, and low phase error. The multi-phasegeneration techniques consist of delay-locked loop and high-frequency multi-phase oscillator. Thesub-harmonically injection and frequency-locked loop will be also adopted to stabilize the frequency andreduce the phase noise. We will achieve the establishment of the MMW instrument technology, theinnovative ICs, the related measurement technology, and the high-integrated frontend circuits and modules.The system planning, IC design, chip layout, fabrication and chip evaluation will be exercised. The designwill also be completed and sent to the foundry for fabrication. In last, the measurement and analysis of thedeveloped high speed frontend ICs and modules will be carried out.