The Circuit Design department at IHP conducts research on silicon broadband and high-frequency circuits. It designs and realizes integrated microwave and millimeter-wave circuits, broadband mixed-signal circuits and energy-efficient RF circuits for communication and sensor applications.
The IHP research program “RF Circuits” develops integrated circuits for operation at the highest frequencies, extending into the sub-THz range, and addresses applications in communications, sensing, and radar. Key results include high-speed data converters operating at up to 60 GS/s, as well as communications and sensor systems achieving data rates of several hundred Gbit/s and frequencies of up to 1.1 THz. Advances in energy-efficient and radiation-hard circuits are expanding the range of applications to include space and cryogenic environments. Initial scalable radar and MIMO systems demonstrate high performance, while their transition to large-scale applications remains a key challenge.
Integrated circuits (ICs) and systems-on-chip (SoCs) are developed within the “RF Circuits” program for operation at the highest possible frequencies for communications, radar, sensing, and A/D and D/A conversion. Several current projects target operation in the D-band (110–170 GHz) and J-band (220–325 GHz) for wireless data transmission, radar, and imaging applications, with data transmission and sensing often addressed jointly. Even higher frequencies, such as 550 GHz and 1.1 THz, are being investigated for gas spectroscopy systems.
The inherent radiation robustness of the HBTs available in IHP technologies also creates strong interest in space applications, which typically operate in the lower millimeter-wave frequency range, mostly in the Ka-band (27–40 GHz). For these systems, the characteristics of IHP HBTs, particularly their high fmax, often enable operation with competitive efficiency.
Competences
Millimeter-wave and sub-THz circuits
The department develops transmitters, receivers and frequency synthesizers for systems with operating frequencies of up to 1’100 GHz. The circuits are designed for and manufactured using IHP’s SiGe-BiCMOS technologies. Competences include switchable transceiver circuits with on-chip integrated antennas, multiple-channels and beam-steering capabilities.
Broadband mixed-signal circuits
Research focuses on key components for fiber-optic and wireless broadband communication. One research area involves the development of new circuit concepts for extremely large signal bandwidths and data rates of 100 Gbit/s and above.
Energy-efficient RF circuits
Another focus point are energy-efficient transmit and receive circuits for battery-powered mobile electronics and wireless sensor networks. Applications include communication, localization and sensor technologies. Intelligent, application-specific power management complements the circuits.
Ultra-fast data converters
An emerging field is the development of integrated analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters with sampling rates in the GHz range. Applications include the direct synthesis of high-frequency signals and the digital processing of RF signals.
Specialized communication and sensing circuits
Further competences include fiber-optic communication circuits, ultra-wideband RFICs for indoor localization, navigation and communication, high-resolution millimeter-wave radar for 2D and 3D applications, sub-THz gas spectroscopy circuits and millimeter-wave sensors for biological and medical applications.
Radiation-tolerant circuit design
The department continuously develops its design methods and tools to realize state-of-the-art RF circuits. This includes radiation-tolerant circuit design for aerospace and space applications.
Technical infrastructure and competences
The department develops and prototypes circuits using IHP’s SiGe-BiCMOS. Its technical infrastructure includes:
- Measurement setups for RF, millimeter-wave and sub-THz integrated circuits
- Measurement setups for ultra-wideband circuits
- Multiple dedicated and general-purpose wafer probe stations
These facilities support circuit characterization at RF, millimeter-wave and ultra-wideband frequencies, wafer-level measurements, prototype assembly and flip-chip integration.
Services
The department’s work covers the design, prototyping and measurement of:
- Integrated microwave, millimeter-wave and sub-THz circuits
- Transmit and receive circuits
- Low-phase-noise frequency synthesizers
- Broadband mixed-signal circuits
- Energy-efficient RF circuits
- Ultra-fast analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters
- Radiation-tolerant circuits for space applications
