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

• Published in: Journal of engineering (Stevenage, England) England), 2019-10, Vol.2019 (19), p.6231-6234
• Main Authors: Liu, Jingtian, Chen, Shuming, Huang, Hui, Xiao, Ke, Chen, Xiaowen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: antenna phased arrays; benzocyclobutene polymer film; DC bias lines; ferroelectric devices; ferroelectric film phase shifters; ferroelectric thin film; ferroelectric thin films; four-element antenna array; frequency 100.0 GHz; frequency 100.0 GHz; IET International Radar Conference (IRC 2018); loss 3.95 dB; loss 3.95 dB; low loss tangent polymer film; low permittivity polymer film; microstrip antenna arrays; microstrip antennas; microstrip lines; microwave integrated circuits; microwave phase shifters; millimetre wave antenna arrays; millimetre wave radar; monolithic silicon substrate; patch antennas; permittivity; phase shifters; phased array radar; planar array ferroelectric film phase shifters; polymer films; power dividers; radar transmitters; silicon; silicon-based on-chip four-channel phased-array radar transmitter; silicon-based phased-array transmitter; silicon-based system-on-chip radar RF front-end system; size 0.45 mm; size 0.45 mm; system-on-chip
• ISSN: 2051-3305; 2051-3305
• DOI: 10.1049/joe.2019.0239

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.