RF & Optoelectronic applications of semiconductor compounds @ Thales Dr Jean CHAZELAS Scientific Director Thales Defence Mission Systems Jean.
[email protected]
1 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Outline Introduction New semiconductors for high power devices RF-MEMS Optoelectronic devices Conclusions
2 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Ground based, spatial, airborne and Naval applications
Wideband signal generation and analysis
Multibeam multifrequency antenna
Wide band signal remoting
Digital signal transmission
Signal processing
Remote decoy
Hydrophone sensor arrays
High frequency wireless comms
Free space optical comms. 3
J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
T/R Modules Architecture
Brick
Tile
4 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
T/R Modules Architecture Critical functions
5 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
New semiconductors for high power devices 2009 THALES Airborne Systems Involved in: • X-band HPA MMIC • Thermal management • X-band Front-End T/R module • Systems aspects
INTEGRATION -thermal management -assembly -packaging -FE modules MMIC -system impact -design -fabrication (2 runs) -demonstrators (HPA, LNA, switches)
DEVICES -device processing -high voltage passives -device models -design guide -reliability & robustness evaluation EPITAXY -parasitic effects -GaN HEMT epi wafer growth GaN road map -advanced materials -commercial sources
2005
SUBSTRATES -material selection : SiC, Si, Sapphire -SiC material quality -diameter expansion 2’’ to 3’’ J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
under Korrigan project 6
Packaging and Modules trends X band TRMs
C band space TRM
wideband TRMs X band space tile TRM
wideband tile TRMs
Brick
28 and 38 GHz telecom modules
2D
Tile
Thick film multilayers ceramic
J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
HTCC / LTCC
Interconnections
PCBs + SMT assembly Silicon substrate
HDI
years
7
MEMS for Radar Front end T/R modules
8 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
MEMS for Radar Front end T/R modules Multi-octave BW Power consumption/size of function Perfs vs PIN diodes
MEMS SWITCHES
• High power… • To replace circulator
Medium power To replace circulator
PHASE SHIFTERS and DELAYS using MEMS C,L. Higher Q for L vs PIN diode Lower expected RL Moderate non linear distortions
•
MEMS TUNABLE C, L Tunable filter bank Miniaturize the filters Agility over an increased BW
Between antenna elements Freq. and spatial agility
MEMS POWER LIMITER To protect the receptor Developed and patented by THALES / ESIEE Increase Incident powers vs PIN diodes 9
J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Current approaches MEMS based T/R modules Low Power switching True Time Delay For Wideband Wide angle beam steering TX RX
High Power switching Tx HPA
True Time Delay
Frequency Agile Narrow Band Filter
Filter for reducing Mutual Interference Receiver Dynamic Range and Increasing ECCM
LNA Rx
New T/R modules based on MEMS technology and devices This includes the replacement of the antenna matching circuit, the circulators and the limiters by MEMS based components such as: MEMS based circulators, MEMS based antenna matching circuit, MEMS based tunable filters, MEMS based RF Power limiters 10 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Thales Research & Technology shunt capacitive switch Electrostatic actuation
Membrane
Dielectric
Coplanar lines
Equivalent electrical model C1 : Dielectric capacitance C2 : Air capacitance R : Membrane intrinsic resistance L : Membrane intrinsic inductance ISOLATION
Æ
CDOWN
INSERTION LOSSES
Æ
CUP 11
J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
-25
• Evolution of TRT switch performances in time
Isolation (dB)
-26 -27 -28 -29 -30 -31 -32 1,E+00
1,E+02
1,E+04
1,E+06
1,E+08
1,E+10
Insertion Loss (dB)
Cycles
up to 1010 cycles
-0,14
Isolation < - 26dB
-0,16
IL > - 0,24 dB
-0,18 -0,2 -0,22 -0,24 -0,26 1,E+00
1,E+02
1,E+04
1,E+06
Cycles J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
1,E+08
1,E+10
•Test conditions •f =10GHz •PIN = 30 dBm •Cold switching
12
REALIZATION TRT MEMS based SPNTs switches such as the SP8T
13 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
PHASE SHIFTER FP6 Aeronautics and Space STREP RETINA
Agile beamsteering in Ku- or Ka-band
data link seeker antennas battle field radar etc..
• Application • Passive antenna reflect array
Schematic of a typical Reflect array antenna
Actual low cost solution based on PIN diodes phase shifters
solution based on MEMS phase shifter + lower loss / lower consumption/ reduced parasitics J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Packaged switches (EADS Deutschland GmbH)
Thales-EADSESIEE-EPFL-JSI 2 bit Phase shifter cell designed using 4 MEMS switches
14
FILTERING • 2 types of filters usually required ¾ Bandpass filters to process signals ¾ Rejecting filters to suppress unwanted signals
Future multifonctionnal active antenna needs extended tuning range for increasing radar BW (up to 20 GHz) and frequency agility
15 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
BANDPASS FILTER DMTL tunable bandpass filter in the X-band Independent Center frequency and bandwidth tuning Use of analogue-series and digital-shunt MEMS capacitors
Tunability ¾ f : 10 to 14GHz
Presented by
EPFL - Thales
¾ 4 pre-selected bands and with a BW tunability of 70% (0,5 -1GHz) 16 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
REJECTING FILTER Solutions for frequency agile rejecting filters under study in Thales-EPFL
¾
Specific distributed MEMS Structures
¾
Preliminary simulation results based on UMC 0,18µm CMOS process give rejection factors over 60 dB
17 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
True Time Delay lines a1, φ1 φ φ φ φ
MEMS tunable TTD lines an, φn
THALES active antenna applications
3 approaches : ¾ MEMS Switchable delay lines ¾ Tunable series MEMS L-C cells ¾ Distributed MEMS Transmissions Lines (DMTL) 18 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Microwave Photonics Technologies
19 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Photonic processing of RF signals Analogue
Optoelectronics can perform :
Accurate delay control Amplitude and Phase control of microwave signals RF-Memory of wideband RF signals (optical waveguides)
Digital
Local oscillator and clock signal generation
ps synchronization High speed sampling of wideband RF signals for A/D conversion Parallel or multi-channel processing Photonic technologies enable the implementation of complex signal processing functions at the analogue / digital interface. 20
J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Main stakes : next generation of systems MILITARY APPLICATIONS (Ground, naval, airborne,space)
Next generations of active aperture antennas should ECM & SATELLITE LINKS have: significant cost and weight reductions better integration within carrier equipment better maintenance and redundancy fault tolerance improvement RADARS & ECM & CNI expanded frequency bands or multi-band capabilities multi-beam and multi-function implementation In this domain Photonics & microwaves technologies must be merged and have a strategic role to play. J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
21
From components and devices to critical functions
22 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Photodiodes From microwaves……………….…..to mmW
23 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Electro-optic converters RF modulation in excess of 20GHz
-21 -24
S21 (dB)
-27 -30 -33 -36 -39
50mA
70mA
-42
100mA
120mA
-45
150mA
-48 0
5
10
15
20 25 22.5 GHz
Frequency (GHz)
With 80mW high power laser 24 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Lasers for digital transmissions From Butterfly
to SFP /SFF or very integrated packages
Size 8% of a butterfly
25 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Pulsed sources lasers Optical generation of very stable clock
900
AC Trace Lorentz fit
ACT (L. a. u.)
800 700 600 500 400 300 0
10
20
30
40
50
Time (ps)
FHWM = 4.5ps
Project Tonics
26 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Direct modulation above 20 GHz • Bandwidth: 22.5 GHz • RIN < 150dB/Hz à 150mA -21 -24 -30 -33 -36 -39
50mA
70mA
-42
100mA
120mA
-45
150mA
-48 0
5
10
15
Frequency (GHz)
20 25 22.5 GHz
RIN (dB/Hz)
S21 (dB)
-27
-120 -125 -130 -135 -140 -145 -150 -155 -160 -165 -170 0
5
RIN 50m A
RIN 100m A
RIN 150m A
RIN 200m A
10
15
20
Fréquence (GHz) 27 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Fixed frequency Opto-Electronic Oscillators optical output
modulated optical source
ampli.
photodiode
fibre delay or micro-sphere(s) or micro-disk(s)
RF splitter
RF output
• operating directly at microwave frequencies: potentially up to 110 GHz (and over, upon component availability) • high spectral purity • output RF power: typ. ~ 10 dBm 28 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
LO generation: heterodyning Solid-state Dual Frequency Laser Er:Yb:Glass
LiTaO3 filter
mirror
ν1
SC dual-frequency laser
ν2
output laser beam
pump diode
beatnote = RF to mmW frequency
Frequency difference (GHz)
extended cavity
450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 -50 -100
I1=50mA I1=75mA I1=100mA
0
50
100
150
200
250
I2 (mA)
Tunability from 0 to 300 GHz demonstrated Research and Technology J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
29
Local oscillator distribution LO distribution of airborne radars:
1
LO
Coupler 1>4
2
1
Optical Amplifier
Coupler 1>4
optical transmitter
2
3
Switch 1>2
1
1J16 elements
4 3
2
photoreceiver
4
Rotary Joint
RF phase Optique non distribuée + RXbanc Optique + Distri + EDFA+ RXbanc noise
-40 -50 -60
Plancher
Bruit de phase (dBc/Hz)
-70 -80 -90 -100 -110 -120 -130 -140 -150 -160 -170 1,E+01
1,E+02
1,E+03
1,E+04
1,E+05
Fréquence (/porteuse) (Hz)
¾ No degradation of the spectral purity
¾ No degradation of the radar pulse shape 30
J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Switched delay lines using InP switching matrixes True Time Delay Synthesis by using optical matrixes
Sorties: 1
2
3
4
Guides intermédiaires
n bits synoptic
τ
2τ
((nn−1) −1)
2
τ
2τ nn
entrée
base 4 synoptic ns switching time demonstrated
4 x 4 InP Optical switching matrixes 31 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Conclusions and perspectives
32 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Conclusion: prospectives for Thales applications GaN, RF-MEMS & Photonic technology are critical for Defence industry and are under integration for the following functions : ¾
Miniaturised T/R modules
¾
Distribution of RF signals in wideband systems
¾
Widebandwidth receiver and TTD beamforming functions
Future systems will require some breakthroughs : - Low NF and low loss optical links - Reduction of power consumption, - Integration for cost reduction - Microwave Photonics on Si and Dense optical interconnects
33 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
Impact of RF Nanotechnologies on antennas Future 2D Wideband antennas based on Nanowaveguides and nano devices integrated with nanophotonic ‘slow light’ waveguides
CONFORMAL ARRAY 1 2
11 2
3 44
Antenna T/R switch
Tuneable filter or channel bandpass filters with transistor switches
Low Noise Amplifier
Subsampling A/D converter Including mixer
Digital input/output
Digital Demod
11 3
Ref. Osc.
Power Amplifier
High Q Res.
22 CN antenna CN based NEMS CNFET
4
Integrated laser source
« slow light » in a photonic crystal membrane
Main Lobe
θ 3
side-lobes
4
A bottom-up approach shows that nano technologies open new opportunities for oversampled active antennas τ
τ
τ
τ
τ
time delays
Interests for New radar & EW capabilities to be elaborated by system designers 34 J. CHAZELAS SEMICON EUROPA OCT 2010
