iCNS Distinguished Lecture: 3D Heterogeneous Integrated Sub-THz Transceiver Front End

ABSTRACT

As next-generation automobile radars, Internet of Space, and 6G wireless communications push the operation frequency above 110 GHz, compact, high-power, and low-noise sub-THz transceivers are needed to overcome the atmospheric absorption for high data rate, low latency, and high spatial diversity/resolution. To this end, we propose an innovative 3D heterogeneous integrated sub-THz transceiver front end, which is based on chiplets of GaN high-power and low-noise amplifiers and a SiC interposer with high-efficiency power combiner, duplexer, and antenna. The innovation is mainly based on SiC, which has low loss, high break-down field, high thermal conductivity, and mechanical toughness. Using SiC, we have demonstrated at sub-THz frequencies substrate-integrated waveguides (SIWs) that are much more efficient than conventional microstrip or coplanar interconnects. Using the SiC SIW, we have in turn demonstrated high-efficiency filters and power combiners that were integrated with GaN high-power and low-noise amplifiers for state-of-the-art performance. Together with innovative duplexers and antennas built in a SiC interposer, we now plan to demonstrate a transceiver front end with unprecedented performance, size, weight, efficiency, and cost to enable sub-THz phased-array sensing and communication systems.

BIOGRAPHY

James C. M. Hwang received a B.S. degree in physics from National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, and an M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in materials science and engineering from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. He is currently a Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, at Cornell University. Prior to that, he spent most of his academic career with Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA, after years of industrial experience at IBM, Yorktown Heights, NY, USA, Bell Labs, Murray Hill, NJ, USA, GE, Syracuse, NY, USA, and GAIN, Somerville, NJ, USA. He cofounded GAIN and QED, Bethlehem, PA, USA; the latter became the public company IQE and remains the world's largest compound semiconductor epitaxial wafer supplier. He was a Consultant for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton, OH, USA, and a Program Officer for GHz-THz Electronics with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, VA, USA. He was an IEEE Distinguished Microwave Lecturer. He is an IEEE Life Fellow and an Editor of IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques. He has worked for decades on electronic, optoelectronic, and micro-electromechanical materials, devices, and circuits. He was the recipient of many honors and awards, including the IEEE Lester F. Eastman Award for outstanding achievement in high-performance semiconductor devices. His current research focuses on sub-terahertz materials, devices, and circuits for next-generator automobile radars, Internet of Space, and 6G wireless communications.