An active interferometric method for extreme impedance on-wafer device measurements

Nano-scale devices and high-power transistors present extreme impedances, which are far removed from the 50-Ω reference impedance of conventional test equipment, resulting in a reduction in the measurement sensitivity as compared with impedances close to the reference impedance. This letter describes a novel method based on active interferometry to increase the measurement sensitivity of a vector network analyzer for measuring such extreme impedances, using only a single coupler. The theory of the method is explained with supporting simulation. An interferometry-based method is demonstrated for the first time with on-wafer measurements, resulting in an improved measurement sensitivity for extreme impedance device characterization of up to 9%

Development of a Reference Wafer for On-Wafer Testing of Extreme Impedance Devices

This paper describes the design, fabrication, and testing of an on-wafer substrate that has been developed specifically for measuring extreme impedance devices using an on-wafer probe station. Such devices include carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) and structures based on graphene which possess impedances in the κ Ω range and are generally realised on the nano-scale rather than the micro-scale that is used for conventional on-wafer measurement. These impedances are far removed from the conventional 50- reference impedance of the test equipment. The on-wafer substrate includes methods for transforming from the micro-scale towards the nano-scale and reference standards to enable calibrations for extreme impedance devices. The paper includes typical results obtained from the designed wafer

Microwave Properties of 2D CMOS Compatible Co-Planar Waveguides Made from Phosphorus Dopant Monolayers in Silicon

Low-dimensional microwave interconnects have important applications for nanoscale electronics, from complementary metal–oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) to silicon quantum technologies. Graphene is naturally nanoscale and has already demonstrated attractive electronic properties, however its application to electronics is limited by available fabrication techniques and CMOS incompatibility. Here, the characteristics of transmission lines made from silicon doped with phosphorus are investigated using phosphine monolayer doping. S-parameter measurements are performed between 4–26 GHz from room temperature down to 4.5 K. At 20 GHz, the measured monolayer transmission line characteristics consist of an attenuation constant of 40 dB mm−1 and a characteristic impedance of 600 Ω. The results indicate that Si:P monolayers are a viable candidate for microwave transmission and that they have a.c. properties similar to graphene, with the additional benefit of extremely precise, reliable, stable, and inherently CMOS compatible fabrication

Solution-Processed InAs Nanowire Transistors as Microwave Switches

The feasibility of using self?assembled InAs nanowire bottom?gated field?effect transistors as radio?frequency and microwave switches by direct integration into a transmission line is demonstrated. This proof of concept is demonstrated as a coplanar waveguide (CPW) microwave transmission line, where the nanowires function as a tunable impedance in the CPW through gate biasing. The key to this switching capability is the high?performance, low impedance InAs nanowire transistor behavior with field?effect mobility of ?300 cm2 V?1 s?1, on/off ratio of 103, and resistance modulation from only 50 ? in the full accumulation mode, to ?50 k? when the nanowires are depleted of charge carriers. The gate biasing of the nanowires within the CPW results in a switching behavior, exhibited by a ?10 dB change in the transmission coefficient, S21, between the on/off switching states, over 5–33 GHz. This frequency range covers both the microwave and millimeter?wave bands dedicated to Internet of things and 5G applications. Demonstration of these switches creates opportunities for a new class of devices for microwave applications based on solution?processed semiconducting nanowires

Dynamic Temperature Measurements of a GaN DC/DC Boost Converter at MHz Frequencies

For reliability predictions, gallium nitride transistors require accurate estimations of the peak operating temperatures within the device. This paper presents a new application of thermoreflectance-based temperature measurements performed on a gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor. The submicron spatial and nanosecond temporal resolutions of the measurement system enables for the first time, the dynamic temperature measurement of a transistor operating up to 5 MHz. The GaN transistor is first biased in class-A and excited with a 1 MHz AC signal to demonstrate the dynamic temperature measurement. The transistor is then incorporated in a 20–40 V DC/DC boost converter to measure the dynamic temperature distributions across the semiconductor die operating under real loading conditions at 1 and 5 MHz switching frequencies. This technique captures the temperature variations that occur during the switching of the transistor and the recorded peak temperatures are 7.

Modelling of Solution Processed Indium Arsenide Nanowire Microwave Switches

This paper presents the modelling of a coplanarwaveguide bottom-gated FET switch using indium-arsenide nanowires. The nanowires have been included on the switch using dielectrophoresis, which is a solution processable technique. This is a necessary first step towards developing a fully printable switch on a flexible substrate, for low cost microwave devices, built using additive manufacturing methods. The measured S-parameters show the switching capabilities of the device with an insertion loss of 9 dB, when the switch is open (gate voltage ? 60 V). The development of a distributed circuit model that matches the measured data is described, alongside the calculated network parameters used to represent the coplanar-waveguide and the nanowires. The model fits the measured results within 8%, making it suitable for inclusion in a CAD based circuit simulator

On-Wafer Broadband Microwave Measurement of High impedance Devices-CPW Test Structures with Integrated Metallic Nano-resistances

International audienceOn-wafer microwave characterization and uncertainty evaluation of two-port coplanar waveguide (CPW) high impedance nanodevices devices are proposed. The test vehicles are built up with resistive metallic nano-films integrated in tapered CPW structures. Microwave conductance in the range 100-500µS associated to parallel capacitances in the order of hundreds aF are exemplary shown up to 20GHz. In addition, the uncertainty related to the post-calibration residual errors terms together with a sensitivity study to the technological process variability using FEM-based EM modelling are considered