access icon openaccess Silicon-based on-chip four-channel phased-array radar transmitter with ferroelectric thin film at 100 GHz

This is an open access article published by the IET under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
Received 19/02/2019, Accepted 02/05/2019, Published 30/05/2019

A silicon-based phased-array transmitter working at 100 GHz is proposed in this study. Planar array ferroelectric film phase shifters (FPSs) are realised with patch antennas, DC bias lines, microstrip lines and power dividers on a monolithic silicon substrate. The system enables full process compatibility and avoids loss caused by multichip interconnection. The isolation layer uses benzocyclobutene polymer film with low permittivity and low loss tangent, providing large thickness physical isolation. The FPS has a compact length of 0.45 mm, and simulation results show that its phase shift degree at 100 GHz is 125.7° with 3.95 dB insertion loss and 11.4 dB reflection loss. The patch antenna shows that the maximum simulated radiation gain of the single antenna is 4 dBi and the four-element antenna array is 9.7 dBi at 100 GHz. The beam can be steered to ±10°. The proposed system lays an important foundation for the realisation of silicon-based system-on-chip radar RF front-end system.

Inspec keywords: ferroelectric thin films; power dividers; phase shifters; radar transmitters; phased array radar; microstrip antennas; microstrip lines; permittivity; microstrip antenna arrays; system-on-chip; millimetre wave antenna arrays; polymer films; ferroelectric devices; millimetre wave radar; antenna phased arrays; microwave phase shifters; microwave integrated circuits; silicon

Other keywords: silicon-based on-chip four-channel phased-array radar transmitter; size 0.45 mm; microstrip lines; low permittivity polymer film; frequency 100.0 GHz; four-element antenna array; ferroelectric film phase shifters; monolithic silicon substrate; benzocyclobutene polymer film; DC bias lines; low loss tangent polymer film; silicon-based phased-array transmitter; ferroelectric thin film; patch antennas; planar array ferroelectric film phase shifters; silicon-based system-on-chip radar RF front-end system; loss 3.95 dB; power dividers

Subjects: Radar equipment, systems and applications; Antenna arrays; Microwave integrated circuits; Ferroelectric devices

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