The main implementation impairments degrading the performance of direct-conversion radio transmitters are in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) mismatch, local oscillator (LO) leakage, and power amplifier (PA) nonlinear distortion. In this article, we propose a recursive least-squares-based learning algorithm for joint digital predistortion (PD) of frequency-dependent PA and I/Q modulator impairments. The predistorter is composed of a parallel connection of two parallel Hammerstein (PH) predistorters and an LO leakage compensator, yielding a predistorter which as a whole is fully linear in the parameters. In the parameter estimation stage, proper feedback signal from the transmitter radio frequency (RF) stage back to the digital parts is deployed, combined with the indirect learning architecture and recursive least-squares training. The proposed structure is one of the first techniques to explicitly consider the joint estimation and mitigation of frequency-dependent PA and I/Q modulator impairments. Extensive simulation and measurement analysis is carried out to verify the operation and efficiency of the proposed PD technique. In general, the obtained results demonstrate linearization and I/Q modulator calibration performance clearly exceeding the performance of current state-of-the-art reference techniques.

We present detailed results of the self-consistent analysis of carbon nanotube (CNT) field-effect transistors (FET), previously extended by us to the case of multi-walled/multi-band coherent carrier transport. The contribution to charge transport, due to different walls and sub-bands of a multi-walled CNT, is shown to be generally non-negligible. In order to prove the effectiveness of our simulation tool, we provide interesting examples about current–voltage characteristics of four-walled semi-conducting nanotubes, including details of numerical convergence and contribution of sub-bands to the calculation.

We review the AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) activities in the Millimeter-Wave Electronics Group at ETH-Zürich. Our group's main thrust in the AlGaN/GaN arena is the extension of device bandwidth to higher frequency bands. We demonstrated surprising performances for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs grown on high-resistivity (HR) silicon (111) substrates, and extended cutoff frequencies of 100 nm gate devices well into the millimeter (mm)-wave domain. Our results narrow the performance gap between GaN-on-SiC (or sapphire) and GaN-on-silicon and establish GaN-on-Si as a viable technology for low-cost mm-wave electronics. We here contrast the difference in behaviors observed in our laboratory between nominally identical devices built on high-resistivity silicon (HR-Si) and on sapphire substrates; we show high-speed devices with high-cutoff frequencies and breakdown voltages which combine fT,MAX × BV products as high as 5–10 THz V, and show AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with fT values exceeding 100 GHz on HR-Si. Although the bulk of our activities have so far focused on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on HR-Si, our process produces excellent device performances when applied to GaN HEMTs on SiC as well: 100 nm gate transistors with fT > 125 GHz have been realized at ETH-Zürich.

Novel designs of circular waveguide components for lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and bandstop applications are presented. The filters are formed by cascaded TM11-mode resonator sections which share a common axis, thus preserving the polarizations of input signals due to rotational symmetry. Moreover, the filters are smaller than standard TE11-mode bandpass filters. Basic design considerations are discussed with respect to the connection of TM11-mode resonators through circular irises. Design principles for all four filter types are presented and their performances computed by the coupled-integral equation technique (CIET). All filter performances are verified by the commercially available software package μWave Wizard, and structural dimensions are provided.

This work presents the design, manufacturing, and testing of three 5-bit K-band Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) phase shifters based on similar architectures (combination of switched line and loaded line) but employing different MEMS switch typologies (cantilevers and air bridges) and RF junctions (SP2T and SP4T). All devices have been monolithically manufactured on 200 µm thick high resistivity silicon substrate (4″) by using the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) RF MEMS process. The performance of the different devices has been compared in order to identify the best configuration to be implemented in electronically steerable phased array antennas for satellite COTM (communication on the move) terminals. Excellent performances were measured for the dielectric-free pad RF MEMS switches as well as the single bits constituting the phase shifter. The three 5-bit devices show return losses better than 15 dB for all states, with average insertion loss of 3.5 dB for the clamped–clamped, SP2T-based design, 2.2 dB for the cantilever, SP2T-based device and 2.1 dB for the cantilever, SP4 T-based design. A low-cost Surface Mountable Technology (SMT) one-level package has been developed as well to allow the phase shifter integration into phased array antennas by using automatic surface mounting techniques. The design and simulation of the SMT package are also presented together with its measured RF performance.

This paper deals with a robust RFSID (Radio Frequency Self IDentification) system for road-to-car communications. The RFSID-based system operates in Ku-band and consists of a fixed transmitter, located at the road side, and of a receiver unit placed on the moving target, i.e. a car in its first proposed application. A slotted waveguide antenna array is used to illuminate the moving object at the desired position, whereas a four-patch array antenna is adopted at the receiver side. Both the antennas have been designed using numerical simulations based on a Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) algorithm. When the moving object crosses the antenna beam a triggering pulse is generated by the receiver; such a pulse can be used to reset or update the electronics aboard the vehicle and to log specific information coming from location-based systems (LBSs), into the car equipments. A digital transmission of gold sequences and a post-processing unit have been exploited so far to increase the robustness and the accuracy of the system. At this stage of the development the system benefit of extensive field tests, being adopted for some years by many top Formula 1 racing teams as a lap trigger system, used to reset the on-board electronics when the car crosses either the finishing line and peculiar path reference points. The temporal accuracy exhibited is better than 1 ms with a coverage of about 90 m.

The effective method of carbon nanotubes antennas' parameters calculation has been developed. The frequency dependencies of input impedance of CNT in dielectric medium have been investigated. It is shown that an increase in the length of a nanotube length does not lead to the appearance of resonances in the centimeter wavelength range.

New technologies have resulted in transmission lines that deviate significantly from the intended rectangular cross sections. Trapezoidal cross sections and roughness that penetrate a significant depth into the surface in comparison to the skin-depth of the conductor can cause a very significant deviation in transmission line parameters from predicted values. Proximity effect further complicates the analysis by increasing losses and changing the impact of surface roughness by changing the current distribution. A skin-effect filament model that combines a traditional skin-effect filament modeling concept with traditional surface roughness modeling concepts is presented that accounts for surface roughness effects and non-ideal cross sections. The new technique models the transmission line non-idealities in a combined way with the current density in the signal and return current paths. This adapted filament model shows an average deviation of less than 2% above 1 GHz with one given transmission line measurement and does not have the computational challenges seen in a 3D full-wave solver.

In the present paper we review the most recent degradation modes and mechanisms recently observed in AlGaN/GaN (Aluminum Gallium Nitride/Gallium Nitride). High Electron-Mobility Transistors (HEMTs), as resulting from a detailed accelerated testing campaign, based on reverse bias tests and DC accelerated life tests at various temperatures. Despite the large efforts spent in the last few years, and the progress in mean time to failure values, reliability of GaN HEMTs, and millimeter microwave integrated circuits still represent a relevant issue for the market penetration of these devices. The role of temperature in promoting GaN HEMT failure is controversial, and the accelerating degradation factors are largely unknown. The present paper proposes a methodology for the analysis of failure modes and mechanisms of GaN HEMTs, based on (i) DC and RF stress tests accompanied by an (ii) extensive characterization of traps using deep level transient spectroscopy and pulsed measurements, (iii) detailed analysis of electrical characteristics, and (iv) comparison with two-dimensional device simulations. Results of failure analysis using various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques are presented and failure mechanisms observed at the high electric field values typical of the operation of these devices are reviewed.

The measurements of physical level parameters can become the area where decisions about cognitive radio will have the most striking effect. Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) enables real-time analyses of physical layer data to satisfy constraints like dynamic spectrum allocations, data throughput, and the coding rate. Cognitive radio will be based on simple network management techniques, using remote procedure calls. Intelligent knowledge-base system (IKBS) techniques will be used to search the parameter space in selecting changes to the system. Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) PHY-layer functions will be managed cognitively by a FPGA-based controller to optimize the performance of the system. Instead of simple bit loading methods, the global multi-criteria optimization promise possibility to adapt more parameters with respect to several objectives. In this paper, the application of particle swarm optimization to fixed WiMAX-OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) parameter adaptation is presented and compared with the greedy bit loading algorithm.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a unique group of materials with high aspect ratio, mechanical and electrical properties, which are of great interests in the field of interconnects, and radio frequency applications. In order to incorporate CNTs into any of these applications successfully, one important issue that has to be resolved is the critical parameters (temperature and reactant gases) associated with the growth of the CNTs. As such, the effect of these growth requirements on the adjacent components should be studied. In this work, we examined specifically the effect of carbon nanotubes growth on the underlying metallization, in particular gold, dedicated for radio-frequency-based applications. The gold coplanar lines were annealed at 800°C in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system to simulate the worst-case condition. The reflection and transmission parameters were analyzed using a probe station connected to a vector network analyzer. Carbon nanotubes grown on different barrier layers were also characterized using a scanning electron microscope and Raman spectroscopy to identify a suitable barrier layer for gold. Our results showed that it is promising to integrate carbon nanotubes grown using PECVD onto Au coplanar waveguide without degrading the S-parameters measurements up to 20 GHz.

We present here a new set of equations for modeling the I–V characteristics of Field Effects Transistors (FETs), particularly optimized for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. These equations describe the whole characteristics from negative to positive breakdown loci, and reproduce the current saturation at high level. Using this model enables to decrease the modeling process duration when a same transistor topology is used for several applications in a T/R module. It can even be used for switches design, which is the most demanding application in terms of I–V swing. Moreover, particular care was taken to accurately model the first third orders of the current derivatives, which is important for multione applications. We also focused on an accurate definition of the nonlinear elements such as capacitances for power applications. There are 18 parameters for the main current source (and six for both diodes Igs and Igd). This can be compared to Tajima's equations-based model (13 parameters) or to the Angelov model (14 parameters), which only fit the I–V characteristics for positive values of Vds. We will detail here the model formulation, and show some measurements/modeling comparisons on both I–V, [S]-parameters and temporal load-pull obtained for a 8 × 75 μm GaN HEMT, with 0.25 μm gate length.

The present paper presents the transistor modeling work achieved in the GaN European project KorriGaN (“Key Organisation for Research in Integrated Circuits in GaN technology”). The KorriGaN project (2005–09) has released 29 GaN circuits such as high-power amplifiers (HPAs), low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), and switches. Modeling is one of the main key to reach successful designs. Therefore, nonlinear models of European GaN HEMT models have been developed. This work deals with characterization tools such as pulsed IV, pulsed [S] parameters, load-pull measurements, and measurement-based methods to perform GaN HEMT compact models parameters extraction. The present paper will describe the transistor modeling activities in KorriGaN for HPA designs (nonlinear models including trapping and/or self-heating effects) and LNA designs (nonlinear models and noise parameters).

In this paper, double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) network layers were patterned using inkjet transfer printing. The remarkable conductive characteristics of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered as promising candidates for transmission line as well as microelectronic interconnects of an arbitrary pattern. In this work, the DWNTs were prepared by the catalytic chemical vapor deposition process, oxidized and dispersed in ethylene-glycol solution. The DWNTs networks were deposited between electrodes contact and then characterized at DC through current–voltage measurements, low frequency, and high frequency by scattering parameters measurements from 40 MHz up to 40 GHz through a vector network analyzer. By varying the number of inkjet overwrites, the results confirm that the DC resistance of DWNTs networks can be varied according to their number and that furthermore the networks preserve ohmic characteristics up to 100 MHz. The microwave transmission parameters were obtained from the measured S-parameter data. An algorithm is developed to calculate the propagation constant “γ”, attenuation constant “α” in order to show the frequency dependence of the equivalent resistance of DWNTs networks, which decreases with increasing frequency.

This work presents a measurement-based physics-oriented large-signal modeling technique for GaN HEMTs. All the model elements are derived directly from pulsed-DC measurements and bias dependent small-signal model elements. The proposed small-signal model features a 12-element extrinsic network, which allows proper modeling of the complex parasitic effects present in large gate-width devices. A reliable generally applicable extrinsic extraction algorithm is presented. It is based on pinch-off S-parameter measurements and on a scanning procedure to find the optimal capacitance distribution. Results of applying the algorithm with measured data of a GaN HEMT with gate width of 3.2-mm prove the consistency of the formulation. Successful model verification is shown under pulsed-DC, single- and two-tone operations, showing accurate predictions versus measurements of IDS, Pout, gain, harmonics and IMD products.

We introduce an integrated design methodology for the optimization of RF-to-DC conversion efficiency of multi-band rectennas (rectifying antennas), with the aim of harvesting the RF energy available in humanized environments. Existing RF sources can either operate at known frequencies, power budgets, and locations, or can be ubiquitously available at different frequency bands, and with unknown directions of incidence and polarizations. In all cases, the RF link power budget may be extremely low. In order to harvest a significant quantity of energy, it is thus mandatory to place a very special care in the design of each part of the receiving/storing system. For this purpose, the receiving antenna must be optimized together with the rectifying circuit and the load. In our work, this is accomplished by a rigorous design tool based on the concurrent use of nonlinear/electromagnetic (EM) CAD tools and EM theory. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by comparing the computed and measured performance of single- and multi-band rectennas, both linearly and circularly polarized. Such antennas are designed to harvest RF energy from a variety of cellular and WiFi systems that are normally present in civil environments.

The aim of the present paper is to highlight the possible benefits coming from the use of the GaN high electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) technology in the Doherty power amplifier (DPA) architecture. In particular, the attention is focused on the capabilities and the relevant drawbacks of a GaN HEMT technology when designing DPAs. A deep discussion of the DPA's design guidelines is also presented through the realization of three prototypes implementing different design solutions and working at 2.14 GHz. The first example is a tuned load DPA (TL-DPA), which show an average drain efficiency of 40.7% with 3 W of saturated output power in the obtained 6 dB of output back-off. The second DPA was designed implementing a class F harmonic termination for the main device, which allows an improvement of roughly 15% in output power and efficiency behavior with respect to the TL-DPA. The last DPA was realized implementing a single output matching network for both main and auxiliary devices, which allows a relevant reduction in the size of the resulting DPA, without downgrading the overall performances.