Extending the Frequency Range of mm-Wave CMOS Circuits

Dr. Eran Socher
School of Electrical Engineering
Tel Aviv University

Abstract:
The continuous scaling of CMOS technology in recent years has enabled the implementation of building blocks and even full transceivers on chip working at mm-wave frequencies, especially for 60GHz short range communication. In order to fully exploit the  theoretical CMOS bandwidth manifested by ft and fmax, future circuits must demonstrate both more significant output power at 100GHz and above, and the ability to use the same circuit for a wider range of frequencies. 

In this talk, I will concentrate on two subjects. The first is extending the bandwidth of mm-wave
receivers, demonstrated in a 52-75GHz 90nm CMOS wideband receiver. The second is extending the output power and tuning range of mm-wave frequency  sources, demonstrated in W, F and J-band sources in 90nm CMOS. Based on a compact differential Colpitts configuration, we achieved a 93-101GHz 4.7dBm VCO, a 90-115GHz injection-locked tripler, a 106-120GHz sub-harmonic injection-locked VCO and a 209-233GHz -6.5dBm source using 3rd harmonic generation. 

Biography:
Eran Socher earned a B.A. in physics (Summa Cum Laude), and B.Sc. (Summa Cum Laude), M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering, all from the Technion — Israel Institute of Technology, where he worked on CMOS-compatible MEMS sensors and actuators and their readout electronics, especially for uncooled thermal imaging. From 2003 to 2006 he was a research engineer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and an adjunct lecturer at the Technion and Bar-Ilan University. From 2006 to 2008, he was a visiting researcher at the High Speed Electronics Laboratory and a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Since October 2008, he is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Electrical Engineering of Tel Aviv University, where he founded and heads the High Frequency Integrated Circuits lab. He has co-authored over  50 journal and conference papers, and is the recipient of several  teaching and research awards and scholarships, including the Rector Prize for Teaching. His research interests are currently focused on RF and mm-wave CMOS circuit design for high data rate communication, sensing and imaging.

For more information, contact Janet Lin (janetl@ee.ucla.edu)