mm-Wave Through-Load Switch for in-situ Vector Network Analyzer on a 55-nm BiCMOS Technology

Abstract

In this paper, an innovative millimeter-wave (mmwave) through-load switch for in-situ reflectometers and on-wafer calibration is proposed. This two-port device can switch between two states: (i) a through connection or (ii) a 50 Ω load for both of its ports. The through-load switch is composed of a 3-dB directional coupler and two nMOS transistors controlled through a biasing voltage applied to their gate. Measurement results of a 120-GHz 3-dB directional coupler are provided up to 145 GHz together with EM simulations and circuit-level simulations up to 220 GHz of the through-load switch. A wide bandwidth is obtained, from 73 GHz to 179 GHz, with limited insertion loss of 2 dB.

State of the Art Sub-Terahertz Switching Solutions

“…Other notable SiGe device topology is a through-load switch (fig. 9, 10) proposed in [26]. This two-port device can switch between two states: a through connection or a 50 Ω load for both of its ports.…”

mm-Wave Through-Load Element for On-Wafer Measurement Applications

“…Hence, the aim of this work is not only to propose a Through-Load system, but also to present a wideband system performing this function. The proposed through-load element was first presented by the authors in [7] and validated using electromagnetic and transistor-level simulations. The present work presents an in-depth analysis of the principles of operation of the proposed element, details the design of a proofof-concept prototype with a central frequency of 120 GHz and demonstrates the feasibility and performance of the Through-Load element with measurements results on a fabricated prototype.…”