Joint Design and Co-integration of Antenna-IC Systems

An overview of design challenges for beamforming active antenna arrays, which are needed to meet high-performance demands of future emerging applications, is presented. The critical role of antenna element mutual coupling on the receiving system sensitivity of array receivers, and effective radiated power of MIMO-type array transmitters is discussed. Trade-offs, common misconceptions, and practical examples are shown and discussed. Techniques towards strong integration between antennas and LNAs/PAs that blurs the geometrical boundaries between them are presented. This will cover mm-wave antenna design examples, where direct matching of active devices to their optimal source/load impedances eliminates the losses of 50-Ohm impedance matching networks. An antenna-integrated high-efficiency (Doherty) PA, operating at the sub-6 GHz band and utilizing active load modulation, will be taken as an on-antenna power combining example, including optimization aspects and over-the-air characterization.

[1]  Karl F. Warnick,et al.  Low-Noise Amplifier Design Considerations For Use in Antenna Arrays , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[2]  L. Bakker,et al.  Design of a low-loss low-noise tapered slot phased array feed for reflector antennas , 2010, Proceedings of the Fourth European Conference on Antennas and Propagation.

[3]  B. Jeffs,et al.  Efficiencies and System Temperature for a Beamforming Array , 2008, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[4]  M V Ivashina,et al.  An Optimal Beamforming Strategy for Wide-Field Surveys With Phased-Array-Fed Reflector Antennas , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[5]  M. Jensen,et al.  Effects of mutual coupling on interference mitigation with a focal plane array , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[6]  K F Warnick,et al.  Design and Characterization of an Active Impedance Matched Low-Noise Phased Array Feed , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[7]  Z. Popovic,et al.  A method for determining noise coupling in a phased array antenna , 2001, 2001 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Sympsoium Digest (Cat. No.01CH37157).

[8]  A. B. Smolders,et al.  An E-Band Silicon-IC-to-Waveguide Contactless Transition Incorporating a Low-Loss Spatial Power Combiner , 2018, 2018 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC).

[9]  Christian Fager,et al.  Symmetrical Doherty Power Amplifier With Extended Efficiency Range , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[10]  Thomas Zwick,et al.  In-antenna power-combining methods , 2017, 2017 11th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EUCAP).

[11]  Peter Hall,et al.  Active Integrated Antennas , 2001 .

[12]  Array Antenna Limitations , 2013, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[13]  Hua Wang,et al.  A 62-to-68GHz linear 6Gb/s 64QAM CMOS doherty radiator with 27.5%/20.1% PAE at peak/6dB-back-off output power leveraging high-efficiency multi-feed antenna-based active load modulation , 2018, 2018 IEEE International Solid - State Circuits Conference - (ISSCC).

[14]  B. K. Sarkar,et al.  Integrated Active Antennas , 2001 .

[15]  Gabriel M. Rebeiz,et al.  A 0.39–0.44 THz 2x4 Amplifier-Quadrupler Array With Peak EIRP of 3–4 dBm , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[16]  Johan Wettergren,et al.  A Ka-Band Active Integrated Antenna for 5G Applications: Initial Design Flow , 2018, 2018 2nd URSI Atlantic Radio Science Meeting (AT-RASC).

[17]  Naoki Shinohara,et al.  C-Band Active-Antenna Design for Effective Integration With a GaN Amplifier , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[18]  Hua Wang,et al.  A 28GHz Packaged Chireix Transmitter with Direct on-Antenna Outphasing Load Modulation Achieving 56%/38% PA Efficiency at Peak/6dB Back-Off Output Power , 2018, 2018 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium (RFIC).

[19]  Rob Maaskant,et al.  Unified Definitions of Efficiencies and System Noise Temperature for Receiving Antenna Arrays , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[20]  Shiang Liu,et al.  The geodesic dome phased array antenna for satellite control and communication - subarray design, development and demonstration , 2003, IEEE International Symposium on Phased Array Systems and Technology, 2003..

[21]  Thomas Zwick,et al.  Active Multiple Feed On-Chip Antennas With Efficient In-Antenna Power Combining Operating at 200–320 GHz , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[22]  G W Kant,et al.  EMBRACE: A Multi-Beam 20,000-Element Radio Astronomical Phased Array Antenna Demonstrator , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[23]  Ylva M. Pihlström.  The Long Wavelength Array , 2007 .

[24]  Niels Skou,et al.  Multibeam Focal Plane Arrays With Digital Beamforming for High Precision Space-Borne Ocean Remote Sensing , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[25]  Erik G. Larsson,et al.  Scaling Up MIMO: Opportunities and Challenges with Very Large Arrays , 2012, IEEE Signal Process. Mag..

[26]  J. Huang.  L-band phased array antennas for mobile satellite communications , 1987, 37th IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference.

[27]  Kaushik Sengupta,et al.  THz signal generation, radiation, and beam-forming in silicon: A circuit and electromagnetics co-design approach , 2016 .

[28]  Fadhel M. Ghannouchi,et al.  Doherty Transmitter Based on Monopole Array Antenna Active Load Modulation , 2018, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[29]  C. Craeye,et al.  Fast numerical method for Focal Plane Array simulation of 3D Vivaldi antennas , 2012, 2012 International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications.

[30]  Leonid Belostotski,et al.  Noise Performance of a Phased-Array Feed With CMOS Low-Noise Amplifiers , 2016, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[31]  Karl F. Warnick,et al.  Phased Arrays for Radio Astronomy, Remote Sensing, and Satellite Communications , 2018 .

[32]  R. Maaskant,et al.  Applying the active antenna impedance to achieve noise match in receiving array antennas , 2007, 2007 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium.

[33]  Christian Fager,et al.  Digital Predistortion for Multi-Antenna Transmitters Affected by Antenna Crosstalk , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[34]  M. Ivashina,et al.  Wideband mm-Wave Transition Between a Coupled Microstrip Line Array and SIW for High-Power Generation MMICs , 2018, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[35]  R. Maaskant,et al.  A generalized method of modeling the sensitivity of array antennas at system level , 2004, 34th European Microwave Conference, 2004..

[36]  M. V. Ivashina,et al.  Mixed-Mode Sensitivity Analysis of a Combined Differential and Common Mode Active Receiving Antenna Providing Near-Hemispherical Field-of-View Coverage , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[37]  Hua Wang,et al.  A Multifeed Antenna for High-Efficiency On-Antenna Power Combining , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[38]  Marianna Ivashina,et al.  A Directly Matched PA-Integrated $K$-Band Antenna for Efficient mm-Wave High-Power Generation , 2019, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[39]  M.V. Ivashina,et al.  Equivalent System Representation to Model the Beam Sensitivity of Receiving Antenna Arrays , 2008, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[40]  A. B. Smolders,et al.  A Non-Isolated Power-Combining Antenna for Outphasing Radio Transmitters , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[41]  Y. Ranga,et al.  Development of a low-noise active balun for a dual-polarized planar connected array antenna for ASKAP , 2012, 2012 International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications.

[42]  Hossein Hashemi,et al.  2.9 A 29dBm 18.5% peak PAE mm-Wave digital power amplifier with dynamic load modulation , 2015, 2015 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference - (ISSCC) Digest of Technical Papers.

[43]  M. V. Ivashina,et al.  Deep Integration Antenna Array: Design Philosophy and Principles , 2019, 2019 13th European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP).

[44]  Dominique Schreurs,et al.  A Novel Doherty Transmitter Based on Antenna Active Load Modulation , 2015, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[45]  M. Ivashina,et al.  A Dual-Fed PIFA Antenna Element With Nonsymmetric Impedance Matrix for High-Efficiency Doherty Transmitters: Integrated Design and OTA-Characterization , 2020, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[46]  F. Raab,et al.  Power amplifiers and transmitters for RF and microwave , 2002 .

[47]  Trevor S. Bird,et al.  Applications of Phased Array Feeders in Reflector Antennas , 2015 .

[48]  A. Lauer,et al.  Innovative phased array antenna for maritime satellite communications , 2009, 2009 3rd European Conference on Antennas and Propagation.

[49]  Robert A. York,et al.  Quasi-optical and spatial power combining , 2002 .

[50]  M. V. Ivashina,et al.  Experimental Results for the Sensitivity of a Low Noise Aperture Array Tile for the SKA , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.