The H2020-SPACE-SIPHODIAS project: Space-grade optoelectronic interfaces for photonic digital and analogue very-high-throughput satellite payloads

The EU-SIPhoDiAS project deals with the development of critical photonic building blocks needed for high-performance and low size, weight, and power (SWaP) photonics-enabled Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS). In this presentation, we report on the design and fabrication activities during the first year of the project concerning the targeted family of digital and microwave photonic components. This effort aims to demonstrate components of enhanced reliability at technology readiness level (TRL) 7. Specifically, with respect to microwave photonic links, we report: (i) the design of Ka and Q-bands analogue photodetectors that will be assembled in compact packages, allowing for very high bandwidth per unit area and (ii) on the design of compact V-band GaAs electro-optic modulator arrays, which use a folded-path optical configuration to manage all fiber interfaces packaged opposite direct in-line RF feeds for ease of board layouts and mass/size benefits. With respect to digital links, we report on the development of 100 Gb/s (4 x 25 Gb/s) digital optical transceiver sub-assemblies developed using flip-chip mounting of electronic and opto-parts on a high-reliability borosilicate substrate. The transceiver chipset developed specifically for this project refers to fully-custom 25 Gb/s radiation hard (RH) VCSEL driver and TIA ICs designed in IHP’s 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS Rad-Hard process

Магнітна сприйнятливість ниткоподібних кристалів Si0,97Ge0,03 опромінених протонами

The article deals with the filamentous Si0,97Ge0,03 crystals with transverse dimensions of 40 ± 2 μm grown by the method of chemical transport reactions in the closed bromide system using gold as a growth initiator. The focus of research was the influence of proton irradiation with doses up to 1∙1017 p+/cm-2 and the following thermal treatments at temperatures of 200 - 500°C on the magnetic susceptibility of these crystals. The dependence of the magnetic susceptibility on the intensity of the magnetic field of the proton irradiated filamentous Si0,97Ge0,03 crystals is described within the framework of the Langevin atom paramagnetism model and explained by the formation of defects of the vacancy type. The revealed increase in the radiation stability of Si0,97Ge0,03 crystals followed the combined effect of radiation and subsequent thermal treatments.Методом хімічних транспортних реакцій в закритій бромідній системі, з використанням золота в якості ініціатора росту, вирощено ниткоподібні кристали Si0,97Ge0,03 поперечними розмірами 40 ± 2 мкм. Досліджено вплив протонного опромінення дозами до 1∙1017 p+/cm-2 та наступних термічних обробок за температур 200 – 500 оС на магнітну сприйнятливість цих кристалів. Залежності магнітної сприйнятливості від напруженості магнітного поля ниткоподібних кристалів Si0,97Ge0,03, опромінених протонами, описано в рамках моделі ланжевенівського парамагнетизму атомів та пояснено  утворенням дефектів вакансійного типу. Виявлено підвищення радіаційної стійкості кристалів Si0,97Ge0,03 після комбінованої дії опромінення та наступних термічних обробок

Structure and magnetic properties of Si<sun>0.97</sub>Ge_0.03 whiskers

By the method of chemical transport reactions in the closed halogen system Si-Au-Pt-B-Br, whiskers Si&lt;sub&gt;1-x&lt;/sub&gt;Ge&lt;sub&gt;x&lt;/sub&gt; x = 0.01-0.08 of transverse dimensions 0.1-100 μm were grown. Structural and magnetic properties of the obtained crystals are investigated. The method of scanning electron microscopy showeds that on the surface of needle-like crystals, with transverse dimensions of 50-80 microns, a porous shell with a thickness of 50-60 nm is present. From the analysis of the energy spectra of X-rays, it was found that the surface shell contains significant concentration atoms of oxygen and of carbon. In turn, oxygen and carbon peaks were not detected on the inner layers of samples. It has been established that the chemical etching of the surface layer of crystals leads to the improvement of their structural and magnetic properties. Key words: whiskers of silicon-germanium, electron microscopy, X-ray spectrum, magnetic susceptibility.</p

A Radiation Hardened 16 GS/s Arbitrary Waveform Generator IC for a Submillimeter Wave Chirp-Transform Spectrometer

This paper describes a radiation hardening design approach of a dual channel 16 GSps single chip arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) - a complex mixed-signal ASIC - that consists of a low phase noise 16 GHz PLL, two 1.6 Mbit SRAM blocks, two multiplexing chains, and two 4-bit DACs. The ASIC is dedicated to be a part of a submillimeter wave spectrometer that shall operate in deep-space environment. Under stringent power budget conditions, a selective radiation protection of the ASIC has been applied. The arbitrary waveform generator has been fabricated in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS process. Correct functionality has been verified in lab and will be further tested in an irradiation facility

High-speed low-power and board-mountable optical transceivers for scalable &amp; energy efficient advanced on-board digital processors

We present the development and verification testing of a high speed multimode, multicore transceiver technology for intra-satellite optical interconnects. We report the fabrication and functional testing of opto-parts including 25 Gb/s 850 nm VCSEL/PD as well as the verification testing of the VCSELs against radiation and lifetime performance. In addition we report the development and evaluation testing of a multi-core cable assembly that was fabricated and mated with MiniAVIM multi-core connectors to develop hi-rel multi-core optical patchcords for pigtailing the transceiver modules. The fiber optic, electronic and opto-parts were used to assemble the first ever fully packaged and pigtailed, six-core optical transceiver prototype module that operates at 25 Gb/s channel bit rate at an energy consumption of ∠4.5 mW/Gb/s