On-chip integration techniques for millimeter-wave CMOS circuits

Type Thesis

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Summary

This dissertation focuses on using on-chip fabrication techniques to integrate broadband antennas with transmitter/receiver (Tx/Rx) integrated circuits (ICs) that operate up to 300 GHz. On-chip integration depends on the design of high performance passives and radio frequency (RF) matching networks. This research has demonstrated three types of interconnect performances up to 325 GHz. This is the first demonstration of grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) interconnects fabricated on benzocyclobutene (BCB) showing that the loss is comparable to that of microstrip. A comprehensive CPW study in BCB has shown that up to 60 GHz, 24 ?m of BCB is sufficient for minimum loss and up to 300 GHz, 60 ?m BCB height is required to approach GCPW performances. Post-CMOS passives have been demonstrated to characterize the back-end-of-line (BEOL) dielectric. A transition from a silicon IC to post-CMOS has been demonstrated on a 180 nm TSMC die with a microstrip patch antenna in the 200 GHz range. This research focuses on the complete engineering design cycle (simulation, fabrication and measurement), with special emphasis on process development.