High-performance SiGe HBTs and advancements in packaging processes have enabled system-in-package (SiP) designs for millimeter-wave applications. This paper presents a 122-GHz bistatic frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar SiP. The intended applications for the SiP are short-range distance and angular position measurements as well as communication links between cooperative radar stations. The chip is realized in a 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS technology and is based on a fully differential frequency-multiplier chain with in phase quadrature phase receiver and a binary phase shift keying modulator in the transmit chain. On-wafer measurement results show a maximum transmit output power of 2.7 dBm and a receiver gain of 11 dB. The chip consumes a DC power of 570 mW at a supply voltage of 3.3 V. The fabricated chip is integrated in an embedded wafer level ball grid array (eWLB) package. Transmit/receive rhombic antenna arrays with eight elements are designed in two eWLB packages with and without backside metal, with a measured peak gain of 11 dBi. The transceiver chip size is 1.8 mm × 2 mm, while the package size is 12 mm × 6 mm, respectively. FMCW measurements have been conducted with a sweep bandwidth of up to 17 GHz and a measured range resolution of 1.5 cm has been demonstrated. 2D positions of multiple targets have been computed using two coherently linked radar stations.

Ferroelectric random access memories (FeRAMs) are new types of memories especially suitable for mobile applications due to their unique properties such as nonvolatility, small DRAM - like cell size, fast read and write as well as low voltage / low power behavior. Although standard CMOS processes can be used for frontend and backend / metallization processes, FeRAM technology development has to overcome major challenges due to new materials used for capacitor formation. In this paper, advantages and disadvantages of different ferroelectric materials and major development issues for high density applications are discussed. Results of a 0.5μm ferroelectric process using SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) as ferroelectric layer, Pt as electrode material, and 2-layer tungsten / aluminum metallization are discussed.