TY - JOUR
T1 - A 4 × 4 Steerable 14-dBm EIRP Array on CMOS at 0.41 THz With a 2-D Distributed Oscillator Network
AU - Saeidi, Hooman
AU - Venkatesh, Suresh
AU - Chappidi, Chandrakanth Reddy
AU - Sharma, Tushar
AU - Zhu, Chengjie
AU - Sengupta, Kaushik
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 1966-2012 IEEE.
PY - 2022/10/1
Y1 - 2022/10/1
N2 - Terahertz (THz) beamforming arrays are critical to address emerging applications in wireless communication, sensing, and imaging. Enabling such architectures, particularly with respect to synchronization of distributed radiating THz sources, is very challenging due to the sensitivity of such synchronizations to variations of process, voltage, temperature (PVT), and device mismatches. In this article, we propose and demonstrate a multi-layer THz array architecture to address robust frequency synthesis, optimal harmonic THz power generation, and scalable phase generation for THz beamforming. The bottom-most layer of this multi-layer network consists of a scalable 2-D negative transconductance (-Gm) cells that collectively oscillates at the center frequency of 69.3 GHz, thereby establishing a robust frequency and phase distribution across the entire chip. By eliminating independent oscillation capability of each node and merging resonator and coupling structures into one single network, the 2-D mesh removes the possibility of moving out of synchronization due to PVT variations or device mismatches and forms the underlying frequency synthesis layer. Local frequency multiplication and radiating elements are placed across the 2-D THz array, and beamforming is enabled through varactor control in the -Gm cells. We demonstrate the proposed architecture in a 4×4 array with effective isotropic radiation power (EIRP) of +14 dBm at 0.416 THz in a lensless setup using a 65-nm CMOS process with the beamforming capability of ±30° in both E- and H-planes.
AB - Terahertz (THz) beamforming arrays are critical to address emerging applications in wireless communication, sensing, and imaging. Enabling such architectures, particularly with respect to synchronization of distributed radiating THz sources, is very challenging due to the sensitivity of such synchronizations to variations of process, voltage, temperature (PVT), and device mismatches. In this article, we propose and demonstrate a multi-layer THz array architecture to address robust frequency synthesis, optimal harmonic THz power generation, and scalable phase generation for THz beamforming. The bottom-most layer of this multi-layer network consists of a scalable 2-D negative transconductance (-Gm) cells that collectively oscillates at the center frequency of 69.3 GHz, thereby establishing a robust frequency and phase distribution across the entire chip. By eliminating independent oscillation capability of each node and merging resonator and coupling structures into one single network, the 2-D mesh removes the possibility of moving out of synchronization due to PVT variations or device mismatches and forms the underlying frequency synthesis layer. Local frequency multiplication and radiating elements are placed across the 2-D THz array, and beamforming is enabled through varactor control in the -Gm cells. We demonstrate the proposed architecture in a 4×4 array with effective isotropic radiation power (EIRP) of +14 dBm at 0.416 THz in a lensless setup using a 65-nm CMOS process with the beamforming capability of ±30° in both E- and H-planes.
KW - Beamforming
KW - CMOS
KW - coupled oscillator
KW - imaging
KW - injection locking
KW - mutual locking
KW - oscillator network
KW - terahertz (THz) power generation
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U2 - 10.1109/JSSC.2022.3183163
DO - 10.1109/JSSC.2022.3183163
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85134197176
SN - 0018-9200
VL - 57
SP - 3125
EP - 3138
JO - IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits
JF - IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits
IS - 10
ER -