Microwave and mm-Wave

Welcome to the home of microwave and mm-wave microelectronics!

Our research team has three main driving applications:

mm-Wave Microelectronics for Terrestrial Communications

System-in-package (SiP), System-on-chip (SoC) and hybrid packaged devices are preferred at millimetre-wave frequencies due to the reduced interface complexity to larger transmit / receive systems. There are, however, significant research gaps w.r.t. hybrid packaging of semiconductors in the millimeter-wave frequency range, as well as the performance of on-chip passive components. These research gaps limit the commercial viability of these technologies. Current research interests include the pursuit of novel on-chip and hybrid millimetre-wave SiGe BiCMOS devices (VCOs, PAs, filters, antennas and arrays, phase shifters) and advanced techniques for passives modelling on-chip.

Characterization and Detection of Radiation Damage in Microelectronic Devices

With the ever increasing use of the low-cost CubeSat standard, the use of non-hardened semiconductors is becoming more commonplace in environments of ionizing radiation. This creates a new need for understanding the effects of total ionizing dose on both single devices and circuits and the development of methods to predict degradation over time. Furthermore, in-system detection and characterization of radiation degradation will also aid in calibrating sensor data and estimating mission lifetimes, as well as eliminating compromised sensors from consideration.

 

 

RF Electronics and Microelectronics for Radio Astronomy

Our group pursues research in a wide range of RF electronic and microelectronic solutions for radio astronomy. These include the development of development analogue pre-processing circuits to ease the requirements on data processing, CMOS SoC integration of MFAA LNAs and ADCs, and low-cost mm-wave integrated precipitable water vapour (IPWV) radiometry system development.

 

 

 

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