Instrumentation for enhanced device-level distortion characterization from S to Ka-band
Abstract
Publicly ReleasableThe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California Santa Barbara requests fund,s to purchase a system for improved characterization of distortion under CW, two-tone, pulsed, and wideband modulated signal conditi,ons for transistors, devices, and circuits in the 2-40 GHz range. Continuous-wave (CW) load pull has long been used at UCSB to infor,m the design of record CW performance GaN devices and circuits, and this instrumentation will assist further improvements in the und,erstanding and demonstration of high linearity. Most instrumentation of this type is targeted only to measurement of circuits. This,proposed instrumentation uses active load pull techniques to also enable the measurement of transistors as well as circuits. This wi,ll be applied to the research areas of the Principal Investigators, which includes development of N-polar GaN HEMTs and creation of,high-performance circuits using GaN HEMTs, InP HEMT and HBT devices, and SiMOSFETs and HBTs. These circuits include including power,and los noise amplifiers, switches, mixers, and beamformers. These device technologies and circuit designs push the bounds of solid-,state performance at across a range of RF and millimeter-wave frequencies, and the proposed instrumentation will permit the comprehe,nsive characterization of such devices and circuits under controlled impedance conditions.UCSB has demonstrated excellent high linea,rity device performance for N-polar GaN HEMTs at 30 GHz in the Ka-band through passive load pull measurements, but the design space,for high linearity performance has not been fully explored. The effect of varied baseband and harmonic impedances, different modulat,ed signal conditions, and the resulting time-domain waveforms at the device are expected to provide greater understanding of device-,level distortion and inform device and circuit improvements. UCSB has also demonstrated record circuit performance at mm-wave freque,ncies through novel circuit techniques applied to high-performance devices including compound semiconductors. Device models even fro,m commercial foundries are not perfectly accurate, and the proposed load pull capability will aid model development and verification,, while also aiding the design, analysis, and characterization of circuits even in the absence of robust nonlinear device models.The, proposed system extends upon an existing active load pull measurement system at UCSB. The additions include additional power amplif,iers to cover additional frequencies of operation for fundamental and harmonic operation, software and active tuners controlling bas,eband impedances, software and hardware necessary for time-domain waveform reconstruction, and accessories necessary to integrate th,ese components. The system will support vector- and power-calibrated measurements under CW, 2-tone, pulsed, and modulated signal con,ditions, with the source, load, baseband, and harmonic source and load impedances controllable. In addition to device-level measurem,ents, it will also be able to measure circuits under a controlled true fifty Ohm termination condition, or with source and load pull,ing.This system is designed to have a broad and flexible range of capabilities to cover a wide variety of current and future researc,h. It will integrate well with existing facilities, complementing and extending upon the labs current capabilities and will be insta,lled in a lab at UCSB that is made available to other academic and commercial users.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2022
- Source ID
- N000142212268
Entities
People
- Umesh Mishra
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, Santa Barbara