Radio frequency circuit design and packaging for silicon-germanium hetrojunction bipolar technology.

The objective of this thesis is to design RF circuits using silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) for communication system. The packaging effect for the SiGe chip using liquid crystal polymer (LCP) is presented and methodology to derive the model for the package is discussed. Chapter 1, we discuss the overview and benefits of SiGe HBT technology in high frequency circuit design. Chapter 2 presents the methodology of the low noise amplifier (LNA) design and discusses the trade-off between the noise and gain matching. The technique for achieving simultaneous noise and gain matching for the LNA is also presented. Chapter 3 presents an L-band cascaded feedback SiGe low noise amplifier (LNA) design for use in Global Position System (GPS) receivers. Implemented in a 200 GHz SiGe BiCMOS technology, the LNA occupies 1 x 1 millimeter square (including the bondpads). The SiGe LNA exhibits a gain greater than 23 dB from 1.1 to 2.0 GHz, and a noise figure of 2.7 to 3.3 dB from 1.2 to 2.4 GHz. At 1.575 GHz, the 1-dB compression point (P1dB) is 1.73 dBm, with an input third-order intercept point (IIP3) of -3.98 dBm. Lastly, Chapter 4 covers the packaging techniques for the SiGe monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC). We present the modeling of a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) package for use with an X-band SiGe HBT Low Noise Amplifier (LNA). The package consists of a 2 mil LCP laminated over an embedded SiGe LNA, with vias in the LCP serving as interconnects to the LNA bondpads. An accurate model for the packaging interconnects has been developed and verified by comparing to measurement results, and can be used in chip/package co-design.

Department dc:contributor.department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Georgia Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Poh, Chung Hang

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Cressler, John D.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Laskar, Joy
• Papapolymerou, John

• Packaging
• RF
• LNA
• LCP
• SiGe

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1853/31662

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.gatech.edu:1853/31662