Design of High-performance Wilkinson Power Divider on SI-GaAs Substrate using Integrated Passive Technology

Abstract

An integrated passive device technology by semi-insulating (SI)-GaAs-based fabrication has been developed to meet the ever-increasing needs of size and cost reduction in wireless applications. This technology includes reliable NiCr thin film resistor, high Q spiral inductor due to thick plated Cu/Au metal process to reduce resistive loss, high breakdown voltage metal-insulator-metal capacitor due to a thinner dielectric thickness, lowest parasitic effect by multi air-bridged metal layers, air-bridges for inductor underpass and capacitor pick-up, and low chip cost using only six process layers. This paper presents the Wilkinson power divider with excellent performance for a digital cellular system application. The insertion loss of this power divider is −0.53 dB and the port isolation greater than −30 dB over the entire band. Return loss in input and output ports are −20.2 dB and −35.8 dB, respectively. The Wilkinson power divider based on SI-GaAs substrates is designed within a die size of 1.42 mm².

Keywords:

• Integrated passive devices
• Digital cellular system
• SI-GaAs substrate
• Wilkinson power divider

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cong Wang

Cong Wang was born in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China in 1982. He received the B.S. degree in Automation Engineering from Qingdao Technological University (China) in 2005, the M.S. and Ph. D. degrees in Electronic Engineering from Kwangwoon University (Korea) in 2008 and 2011 respectively. He is currently working at the same university as a adjunct professor. In 2007, he was a research engineer at Mission Technology Co., Ltd R&D Department, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, where he was involved in the development of microwave components and devices using Hybrid and LTCC technology. He joined NanoENS Co., Ltd R&D Department that same year. His work includes passive device modeling, passive device design, and fabrication process development and optimization. He has published more than 60 papers in domestic and international journals and conferences. He also has a few semiconductor layout design patents registered in Korea. His major interests include RFIC/MMIC design and semiconductor fabrication development such as GaAs integrated passive device, SU-8 photo resist based fabrication, silicon-based LED module fabrication and packaging, and AlGaN/GaN HEMT and their applications which are emerging technologies of today. E-mail: [email protected]

Nam-Young Kim

Nam-Young Kim has received two Masters and two Ph.D. degrees from State University of New York at Buffalo and Midwest University: the M.S. and the Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering. He has also received M. Div and D.C.E. degrees in Theology from Midwest University in 2004 and 2006, respectively. He was a research scientist for CEEM at SUNY at Buffalo in 1994. After completing his research at CEEM at SUNY at Buffalo, Dr. Kim joined the Department of Electronic Engineering of Kwangwoon University as an assistant professor in 1994. His main research focus is in RFIC devices and systems, which use wireless application techniques in order to develop high speed structures in GaAs, Si, and other materials. The founder of the RFIC Education and Research Center, Dr. Kim also serves as director for the Fusion Technology Center. His RFIC research center was honored and sponsored as a ITRC (Information Technology Research Center) by the Ministry of Communication and Information (MIC) of Korea, where he has been acting Director of the RFIC since 2000. He leads the RFIC and RF related Fusion Group at Kwangwoon University, where he has researched along with 22 professors. During his career, he has published almost 120 refereed journal papers and 355 refereed conference papers. Dr. Kim has been issued more than 40 patents and 35 semiconductor design patents. E-mail: [email protected]