Nonlinear Embedding and De-embedding: Theory and Applications

Abstract The chapter deals with two recently proposed characterization techniques of microwave transistors oriented to high-frequency power amplifier (PA) design. In particular, the nonlinear embedding and de-embedding design techniques are detailed, along with evidence of their advantages with respect to conventional design approaches in terms of power and frequency handling capability. The discussion also details the differences between the two techniques; despite the fact that they share the same theoretical basis, the techniques suffer from different critical facets. Finally, with the aim of guiding the reader towards full comprehension of the topic, different experimental examples are provided for transistor characterization and PA design.

[1]  U. Lott Measurement of magnitude and phase of harmonics generated in nonlinear microwave two-ports , 1989 .

[2]  Hongtao Xu,et al.  A high-efficiency class-E GaN HEMT power amplifier at 1.9 GHz , 2006, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[3]  F. Giannini,et al.  GaN Device Technology: Manufacturing, Characterization, Modelling and Verification , 2008, 2008 14th Conference on Microwave Techniques.

[4]  P.J. Tasker Practical waveform engineering , 2009, IEEE Microwave Magazine.

[5]  Ke Wu,et al.  Development of a Large-Signal-Network-Analyzer Round-Robin Artifact , 2013, IEEE Microwave Magazine.

[6]  W. De Raedt,et al.  Real-time non-linear de-embedding , 2011, 77th ARFTG Microwave Measurement Conference.

[7]  Herbert Zirath,et al.  Accurate small-signal modeling of HFET's for millimeter-wave applications , 1996 .

[8]  A. Lauer,et al.  Consistent large signal implementation of capacitances driven by two steering voltages for FET modeling , 2005, 2005 European Microwave Conference.

[9]  A. Caddemi,et al.  Accurate Multibias Equivalent-Circuit Extraction for GaN HEMTs , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[10]  A. Mediavilla,et al.  Characterization of thermal and frequency-dispersion effects in GaAs MESFET devices , 2001 .

[11]  S. C. Cripps,et al.  RF Power Amplifiers for Wireless Communications , 1999 .

[12]  J. Verspecht,et al.  X-Parameter Measurement and Simulation of a GSM Handset Amplifier , 2008, 2008 European Microwave Integrated Circuit Conference.

[13]  Roberto Menozzi,et al.  Hot electron degradation of the DC and RF characteristics of AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs PHEMT's , 1998 .

[14]  D. E. Root,et al.  Nonlinear charge modeling for FET large-signal simulation and its importance for IP3 and ACPR in communication circuits , 2001, Proceedings of the 44th IEEE 2001 Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems. MWSCAS 2001 (Cat. No.01CH37257).

[15]  Andrea Ferrero,et al.  Accuracy Evaluation of On-Wafer Load-Pull Measurements , 2000, 55th ARFTG Conference Digest.

[16]  D. E. Root,et al.  Experimental evaluation of large-signal modeling assumptions based on vector analysis of bias-dependent S-parameter data from MESFETs and HEMTs , 1992, 1992 IEEE Microwave Symposium Digest MTT-S.

[17]  M. Pagani,et al.  Accurate modeling of electron device I/V characteristics through a simplified large‐signal measurement setup , 2005 .

[18]  Jianjun Xu,et al.  Multi-tone, Multi-port, and Dynamic Memory Enhancements to PHD Nonlinear Behavioral Models from Large-signal Measurements and Simulations , 2007, 2007 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium.

[19]  Franco Giannini,et al.  On the class‐F power amplifier design , 1999 .

[20]  T.J. Brazil,et al.  A Unified Approach to Charge-Conservative Capacitance Modelling in HEMTs , 2006, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[21]  Jonathan B. Scott,et al.  Pulsed device measurements and applications , 1996 .

[22]  J. Graffeuil,et al.  Analysis of capacitance and transconductance frequency dispersions in MESFETs for surface characterization , 1986 .

[23]  R. Quéré,et al.  An Electrothermal Model for AlGaN/GaN Power HEMTs Including Trapping Effects to Improve Large-Signal Simulation Results on High VSWR , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[24]  John Michael Golio Microwave MESFETs and HEMTs , 1991 .

[25]  V. Vadala,et al.  Linear versus nonlinear de-embedding: Experimental investigation , 2013, 81st ARFTG Microwave Measurement Conference.

[26]  T. Itoh,et al.  Combination of Circuit and Full Wave Analysis for Pre-Matched Multifinger FET , 2000, 2000 30th European Microwave Conference.

[27]  S. M. Sze,et al.  Physics of semiconductor devices , 1969 .

[28]  A. Santarelli,et al.  Scalable Equivalent Circuit FET Model for MMIC Design Identified Through FW-EM Analyses , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[29]  Franco Giannini,et al.  High Efficiency RF and Microwave Solid State Power Amplifiers , 2009 .

[30]  A. Caddemi,et al.  Determination and Validation of New Nonlinear FinFET Model Based on Lookup Tables , 2007, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[31]  V. Vadala,et al.  Power amplifier design accounting for input large-signal matching , 2012, 2012 7th European Microwave Integrated Circuit Conference.

[32]  A. Raffo,et al.  Waveforms-Only Based Nonlinear De-Embedding in Active Devices , 2012, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[33]  A. Raffo,et al.  A New Approach to Microwave Power Amplifier Design Based on the Experimental Characterization of the Intrinsic Electron-Device Load Line , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[34]  H. Massler,et al.  A simplified broad-band large-signal nonquasi-static table-based FET model , 2000 .

[35]  W. Van Moer,et al.  A large-signal network analyzer: Why is it needed? , 2006, IEEE Microwave Magazine.

[36]  Valeria Vadala,et al.  Accurate GaN HEMT nonquasi-static large-signal model including dispersive effects , 2011 .

[37]  G. Dambrine,et al.  A new method for determining the FET small-signal equivalent circuit , 1988 .

[38]  Yichi Zhang,et al.  Covariance-Matrix-Based Uncertainty Analysis for NVNA Measurements , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement.

[39]  R. Menozzi,et al.  Off-state breakdown of GaAs PHEMTs: review and new data , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Device and Materials Reliability.

[40]  Valeria Vadala,et al.  A new empirical model for the characterization of low-frequency dispersive effects in FET electron devices accounting for thermal influence on the trapping state , 2008, 2008 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[41]  P.A. Traverso,et al.  A Nonquasi-Static Empirical Model of Electron Devices , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[42]  V. Vadala,et al.  Influence of the gate current dynamic behaviour on GaAs HEMT reliability issues , 2012, 2012 7th European Microwave Integrated Circuit Conference.

[43]  A. Raffo,et al.  Waveforms-based large-signal identification of transistor models , 2012, 2012 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[44]  A. Santarelli,et al.  Scalable Nonlinear FET Model Based on a Distributed Parasitic Network Description , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[45]  Christian Fager,et al.  Optimal parameter extraction and uncertainty estimation in intrinsic FET small-signal models , 2002 .

[46]  J. O. Maclean,et al.  Analysis of DC–RF Dispersion in AlGaN/GaN HFETs Using RF Waveform Engineering , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[47]  Dylan F. Williams,et al.  Covariance-Based Vector-Network-Analyzer Uncertainty Analysis for Time- and Frequency-Domain Measurements , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[48]  Paul J. Tasker,et al.  High power time domain measurement system with active harmonic load-pull for high efficiency base station amplifier design , 2000, IMS 2000.

[49]  Dominique Schreurs,et al.  Real-time measurement of InP HEMT'S during large-signal RF overdrive stress , 1998 .

[50]  Valeria Vadala,et al.  Nonlinear embedding and de‐embedding techniques for large‐signal fet measurements , 2012 .

[51]  H. Zirath,et al.  An empirical-table based FET model , 1999, 1999 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (Cat. No.99CH36282).

[53]  Pier Andrea Traverso,et al.  New pulsed measurement setup for GaN and GaAs FETs characterization , 2012, International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies.

[54]  D. Schreurs,et al.  Nonlinear Dispersive Modeling of Electron Devices Oriented to GaN Power Amplifier Design , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[55]  Bart Nauwelaers,et al.  Identification technique of FET model based on vector nonlinear measurements , 2011 .

[56]  M. Pagani,et al.  Nonlinear RF device modelling in the presence of low‐frequency dispersive phenomena , 2006 .

[57]  Roberto Menozzi,et al.  Electric-field-related reliability of AlGaAs/GaAs power HFETs: bias dependence and correlation with breakdown , 2001 .

[58]  R. Lai,et al.  On-Wafer S-Parameter Measurements in the 325–508 GHz Band , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology.

[59]  P.A. Traverso,et al.  Accurate pHEMT nonlinear modeling in the presence of low-frequency dispersive effects , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[60]  John Wood,et al.  Modeling and Characterization of RF and Microwave Power FETs , 2007 .

[61]  G. Kompa,et al.  Large-Signal Model for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs Accurately Predicts Trapping- and Self-Heating-Induced Dispersion and Intermodulation Distortion , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[62]  J.B. Scott,et al.  The Random Component of Mixer-Based Nonlinear Vector Network Analyzer Measurement Uncertainty , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[63]  Christian Fager,et al.  Nonlinear Transistor Model Parameter Extraction Techniques: Frontmatter , 2011 .

[64]  Valeria Vadala,et al.  Characterization of GaN HEMT Low-Frequency Dispersion Through a Multiharmonic Measurement System , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[65]  Giorgio Vannini,et al.  ‘Backgating’ model including self-heating for low-frequency dispersive effects in III-V FETs , 1998 .

[66]  Valeria Vadala,et al.  A new approach to Class-E power amplifier design , 2011, 2011 Workshop on Integrated Nonlinear Microwave and Millimetre-Wave Circuits.

[67]  J. Benedikt,et al.  Analysis of DC-RF dispersion in AlGaN/GaN HFETs using pulsed I-V and time-domain waveform measurements , 2005, IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2005..

[68]  Valeria Vadala,et al.  X-Band GaN Power Amplifier for Future Generation SAR Systems , 2014, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[69]  Bart Nauwelaers,et al.  On the evaluation of the high-frequency load line in active devices , 2011, International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies.

[70]  R. Quere,et al.  Pulse characterization of trapping and thermal effects of microwave GaN power FETs , 2001, 2001 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Sympsoium Digest (Cat. No.01CH37157).