Compact GaN-based Stacked Cells for 5G Applications at 26 GHz

This work presents the development of two 2-FET stacked cells at 26 GHz in the WIN Semiconductors 150 nm power GaN/SiC technology. Two different compact layouts, based on the same circuit scheme, are designed targeting similar performance in the FR2 5G frequency band. One version favoring distance between components, to relieve electromagnetic cross-talk, and the other favoring instead symmetry. The cells have been conceived as basic building blocks for the development of high-power 5G amplifiers, rather than as stand-alone amplifiers, hence including only input matching and stabilization networks. Based on large-signal simulations on the optimum load, the cells are expected to deliver around 34 dBm with an efficiency higher than 35% at 26 GHz, and a linear gain of 10 dB. The output power performance is maintained from 24.5 GHz to 27.5 GHz, where the saturated efficiency is above 30 % for both cells. The small-signal experimental characterization results are in very good agreement with the simulations, proving the effectiveness of the electromagnetic simulation setup adopted for all the passive structures, despite the challenges posed by the compact layouts

PA design and statistical analysis through X-par driven load-pull and EM simulations

Modeling the active device is a key step for the successful statistical analysis of power amplifiers: the nonlinear model must not only depend on the most relevant device fabrication parameters, but should also work accurately in source/load-pull analysis, since variations of the passive embedding network effectively act as a load-pull at the active device ports. We demonstrate that the X-parameter model extracted from physics-based nonlinear TCAD simulations is extremely accurate for load-pull analysis. The X-parameter model is coupled to electromagnetic simulations to assist the variability-aware design of a GaAs MMIC X-band power amplifier (PA): concurrent variations of the active device doping and of the capacitor dielectric layer thickness are considered as the main contributions to PA variability. Two possible output matching networks, with distributed or semi-lumped design, are compared: already for moderate doping variations the PA output power spread is dominated by the active device variability, while passive network variations are always the relevant contribution to PA efficiency

Global Assessment of PA variability through concurrent Physics-based X-parameter and Electro-Magnetic simulations

The novel technique introduced in [1] is exploited to address a full variability analysis of a GaAs MMIC X-band power amplifier, including the statistical variations of several technological parameters, both in the active and passive components. The active device is modelled by means of X-parameters, directly extracted from physics-based analysis. A non-50 O X-Par model is used to take into account the input port mismatch with respect to the conventional 50 O reference. The scattering parameters of the passive structures are extracted from accurate electromagnetic simulations and then imported into the circuit simulator through data intercharge files (e.g. MDIF or CITIfile) as a function of the most important MMIC fabrication parameters, e.g. the thickness of the MIM capacitor dielectric layer. The analysis shows that more than 10% of output power variations can be ascribed to the concurrent MIM and doping variations in conventional GaAs MMIC technology

TCAD-based Dynamic Thermal X-parameters for PA Self-Heating Analysis

TCAD simulations are used to extract an accurate temperature-dependent X-parameter active device model, which describes it as instantaneously dependent on the junction temperature, and hence represents the ideal framework to analyze device self-heating. Once exported from TCAD into EDA tools, X-parameters are coupled to a dynamic thermal impedance, leading to a compact and efficient device black-box model, allowing for circuit-level analysis of thermal memory effects in microwave circuits, like Power Amplifiers (PAs), even in presence of complex modulated-signal excitation. In particular, we focus on the thermal analysis of a class-A PA at E-band based on a 54 nm Si FinFET. The accuracy of the temperature-dependent X-parameter model is demonstrated first by comparing circuit simulations with TCAD results in continuous wave. Then we extend the analysis to pulsed modulated operation, highlighting thermal dynamic effects as a function of the pulse period

Variability-aware MMIC design through multiphysics modelling

We present a novel multiphysics approach to the variability-aware modelling of MMIC stages, including technological variations in both the active devices and in the passive structures used to implement the matching networks. The models are based on accurate physical simulations via the TCAD numerical analysis of the active device, and electro-magnetic simulations of the passives. Black-box models are then extracted and implemented into circuit simulators, using parameter-dependent X-parameters and scattering matrix. In both cases, the link with the underlying technology is always retained. After model validation, we present the statistical analysis of an X-band GaAs power amplifier. We show that the stage is highly affected by process induced variability, with spreads up to 3 dB of output power, 1.5 dB of operative gain, and more than 10 percentage points of drain efficiency

Spectroscopy of moderately high-redshift RCS-1 clusters

We present spectroscopic observations of 11 moderately high-redshift (z~0.7- 1.0) clusters from the first Red-Sequence Cluster Survey (RCS-1). We find excellent agreement between the red-sequence estimated redshift and the spectroscopic redshift, with a scatter of 10% at z>0.7. At the high-redshift end (z>~0.9) of the sample, we find two of the systems selected are projections of pairs of comparably rich systems, with red-sequences too close to discriminate in (R-z') colour. In one of these systems, the two components are close enough to be physically associated. For a subsample of clusters with sufficient spectroscopic members, we examine the correlation between B_gcR (optical richness) and the dynamical mass inferred from the velocity dispersion. We find these measurements to be compatible, within the relatively large uncertainties, with the correlation established at lower redshift for the X-ray selected CNOC1 clusters and also for a lower redshift sample of RCS-1 clusters. Confirmation of this and calibration of the scatter in the relation will require larger samples of clusters at these and higher redshifts. [abridged]Comment: AJ accepted. 30 pages, 7 figures (figure 5 reduced quality

Ka-band 4 W GaN/Si MMIC power amplifier for CW radar applications

In this contribution it is reported the design, implementation and characterization of a 4-stage single-ended Ka-band power amplifier based on 100 nm GaN/Si commercial process. The amplifier, designed for CW radar applications, has been measured under small-signal and pulsed large-signal conditions. The amplifier exhibits an output power above 4W, together with power added efficiency in excess of 28 % and operative gain larger than 25dB over the 34GHz-38GHz frequency range

A Simple Method to Identify Parametric Oscillations in Power Amplifiers Using Harmonic Balance Solvers

A qualitative method to verify the presence of parametric oscillations at f_0/2 in power amplifiers (PAs) is presented and validated. It relies on the simultaneous application of fundamental and subharmonic tones to trigger possible parametric oscillations and can be implemented in any commercial harmonic balance solver without requiring any external software that may be expensive or however not available to the designer. Wide applicability is guaranteed by the fact that this method does not require access to any internal node of the circuit. In fact, the amplifier is handled as a black-box where only the input and output ports are accessible. The stability check is first demonstrated on a simplified case study and then validated on a real K-band integrated PA, where it correctly reproduces with simulations the parametric oscillations observed by measurements. On the redesigned amplifier, the proposed test predicted the absence of oscillations, which has been confirmed by the experimental characterization

The Galaxy Populations of X-Ray Detected, Poor Groups

(Abridged) We determine the quantitative morphology and star formation properties of galaxies in six nearby X-ray detected, poor groups using multi-object spectroscopy and wide-field R imaging. We measure structural parameters for each galaxy by fitting a PSF-convolved, two component model to their surface brightness profiles. To compare directly the samples, we fade, smooth, and rebin each galaxy image so that we effectively observe each galaxy at the same redshift (9000 km/s) and physical resolution (0.87h^(-1) kpc). We compare results for the groups to a sample of field galaxies. We find that: 1) Galaxies spanning a wide range in morphological type and luminosity are well-fit by a de Vaucouleurs bulge with exponential disk profile. 2) Morphologically classifying these nearby group galaxies by their bulge fraction (B/T) is fairly robust on average, even when their redshift has increased by up to a factor of four and the effective resolution of the images is degraded by up to a factor of five. 3) The fraction of bulge-dominated systems in these groups is higher than in the field (~50% vs. ~20%). 4) The fraction of bulge-dominated systems in groups decreases with increasing radius, similar to the morphology-radius (~density) relation observed in galaxy clusters. 5) Current star formation in group galaxies is correlated with significant morphological asymmetry for disk-dominated systems (B/T<0.4). 6) The group galaxies that are most disk-dominated (B/T<0.2) are less star forming and asymmetric on average than their counterparts in the field.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (26 pages + 12 figures); Figs 1 & 2 also available at http://www.ucolick.org/~vy/astronomy/groups_figs.tar.g