Future of Vector Network Analysis Dylan Williams and Nate Orloff Integrated Circuits Drive Wireless Communications

Application Frequency (GHz) 10 30 100 300

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1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Year

We Cannot Take the Integrated Circuit for Granted at mmWaves 2 Next 15 Years of Wireless Manufacturing by Country

The United States still dominates mmWave manufacturing

Enables $12.3T in Total Economic Growth (2020-2035) Communication Providers Want Speed of Fiber on Your Phone

Millimeter-Waves are the Next Wireless Frontier Measurements and Calibrations Matter at mmWaves

Before Calibration

64 QAM at 44 GHz

After Calibration mmWave Measurement Challenge of our Era

Not a Single RF Connector!

On-Wafer IC and System-Level Test OTA System-Level Test

Transistor models IC Test System-Level Test End-to-End Verification On-Wafer Connectorized Free-Space Goals for Vector Network Analysis in CTL

Project Calibration Reference Planes On-Wafer and to OTA Test On-Wafer Measurements • Innovations in Calibration • Support Device Models to System-Level Test • State-Of-The-Art Instruments for US mmWave NR Manufacturers Vector Network Analysis • Platform for Traceable System-Level Tests Across CTL • Close the Connector-Less Gap mmWave Design Extremely Complex

Accurate measurements are a must

80 80 GHz GHz 160 ~ GHz

240 GHz

• Highly nonlinear operating states required for efficiency • Characterize, capture, control and reuse harmonics • Must maintain linearity On-Wafer Measurement the Only Way to Test ICs

Yesterday Today CTL On-Wafer Accomplishments

NIST On-Wafer Approaches Firmly Established as the Methods of Reference 20 With coupling correction

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0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 I Frequency (G H z) Frequency (GHz) Microwave Design Strategy Evolved Greatly

CTL Has Been Evolving Vector Network Analysis 50 Years Later OTA system-level behavior

On-wafer On-wafer Impedances, reflections and waves voltages and currents system-level behavior Vector Network Analysis Today

Same network analyzer • S-parameter calibration • Add Power and Electrical-Phase calibration

푏푖 푆푖푗 = S-Parameter 푎푗

푣 = 푍0 푎 + 푏 Power

1 푖 = 푎 − 푏 푍0 Phase The Future of On-Wafer Vector Network Analysis

CTL Innovating in S-Parameters, Power and Electrical Phase

Scattering-Parameter Calibration Kit Power Meter Electrical Phase Reference

Today Tomorrow A Conduit for Traceability Inside and Outside CTL

Vector Network Analysis Brings Power, Electrical Phase, Impedance and Waveforms to Remote Reference Planes Correlated Uncertainty NIST Waveform Services T  Y = J  X J PD

Frequency Microwave Power Services

14 Time

S-Parameter Services Vector Network Analyzer

Impedance

Microwave IC Design Modulated Signal Quality Free-Field Test OTA System-Level Measurements

RF Customer Array RF RF IF RF

OTA Measurements

VNA Traceability For: • Channel Distortion, AoA and Polarization • Flexible RF-RF and RF-IF Measurements Characterize Fields • Multiple Traceable Modulated Signals Some Outcomes of CTL Vector Network Analysis

On-Wafer Measurements VNA Measurement Methods • On-Wafer Device-Modeling Capability with Uncertainty • Improved VNA Synchronization for Accurate Modulated-Signal Measurement • GaN manufacturer asks for models with uncertainty • Using similar technique Keysight announces accurate EVM • On-Wafer Impedance-Power-Phase Calibration Kits measurements with VNA • Power Standard with 100 GHz BW • Traceable Characterization of any Signal AWG can Generate • Fabricated experimental on-wafer phase reference • Arbitrary frequency grid, dramatically improved sync/SNR • On-Wafer Instruments in a Probe • Investing in Calibration Services • Self-calibrating, connector-less, 1 THz BW • 4 New Staff Members • Waveform calibrations report both conventional and correlated uncertainties • Power and Scattering-Parameter Services migrating toward VNA transfers and correlated uncertainties

Impact on Instrument Makers • Keysight adopts calibrated NIST Photodiodes for oscilloscope and electrical-phase traceability • Instrument Maker adds electrical phase reference and asks for NIST traceability • Instrument Maker announces 220 GHz VNA with no Coaxial Calibration Kit • Joint experiments to investigate direct NIST photodiode calibrations • Need 220 GHz calibration kits supporting on-wafer impedance-power-phase

The Future of Vector Network Analyzers

Probe Photomixer 1. Control 2. Convert 3.1 Amplify 3.2 Combine

Diagnostic Signal Voltage (V) Voltage Time (ps) Everything in a Probe to Measure mmWave ICs Vector Network Analyzer in-a-Probe 60 GHz – 270 GHz VNA-in-a-probe Probe-Station 60 GHz – 270 GHz VNA-on-a-chip Mount

mmWave Probe Tip IC

3 mm CTL at Cutting Edge of On-Wafer-to-OTA Test

mmWaves are the Wireless Frontier

Vector Network Analysis The Heart of CTL Services, IC Design and OTA System-Level Test

On-Wafer System-Level Test Free-Space