Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On-Wafer Calibration Technique for High Frequency Measurement with Simultaneous Voltage and Current Tuning

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Testing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a novel on wafer calibration method for the measurement of radio RF passive components with R&S vector network analyzer (VNA) at RF and mm-wave frequency. This method has employed the high frequency structure simulator (HFSS) results along with multi-level optimizations to get the nominal values used for on wafer calibration. Multiline (Thru-reflect-line) TRL calibration standards fabricated on the same substrate are used with better accuracy. Measured results show that a thru line provides less than 0.015 dB insertion loss throughout the frequency range of 1GHz-67GHz. This result is much better compared to the results achieved by conventional Short-open-load-thru (SOLT) calibration and (Thru-reflect-line) TRL calibration using the available calibration substrates. Using this calibration technique, the phase variation of the thru line shows less than 3° at 67GHz which is much lower than 15° achieved by the conventional calibration methods. The measurement of the multi band characteristics of the RF passive components by simultaneous current and voltage application has also been demonstrated successfully.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chun Y, Hong JS, Bao P, Jackson TJ, Lancaster MJ (2008) BST-varactor tunable dual-mode filter using variable Zc transmission line. IEEE Microw Wirel Components Lett 18(3):167–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Farid Rahman BM, Divan R, Zhang H, Rosenmann D, Peng Y, Wang X, Wang G (2014) High performance tunable slow wave elements enabled with nano-patterned permalloy thin film for compact radio frequency applications. J Appl Phys 115(17):17A508

  3. Farid Rahman BM, Divan R, Zhang H, Rosenmann D, Peng Y, Wang X, Wang G (2014) Direct current tunable noise suppressor using sub-micrometer patterned permalloy films. J Appl Phys 115(17): 17E515

  4. Guo N, Qiu RC, Mo SS, Takahashi K (2007) 60-GHz millimeter-wave radio: Principle, technology, and new results. EURASIP J Wirel Commun Netw 2007(1):48

  5. Kärnfelt C, Hallbjörner P, Zirath H, Alping A (2006) High gain active microstrip antenna for 60-GHz WLAN/WPAN applications. IEEE Trans On Microw Theory and Tech 54(6):2593–2603

  6. Nath J, Ghosh D, Maria JP, Kingon AI, Fathelbab W, Franzon PD, Steer MB (2005) An electronically tunable microstrip band-pass using thin-film barium-strontium-titanate (BST) varactors. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech 53(9):2707–2712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Simons RN (2004) Coplanar waveguide circuits, components, and systems, vol. 165. John Wiley & Sons

  8. Tombak A, Maria JP, Ayguavives F, Jin Z, Stauf GT, Kingon AI, Mortazawi A (2002) Tunable barium strontium titanate thin film capacitors for RF and microwave applications. IEEE Microw Wirel Components Lett 12(1):3–5

  9. Wang G, Woods W, Ding H, Mina E (2008) Novel low-cost on-chip CPW slow-wave structure for compact RF components and mm-wave applications. In: Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 2008. ECTC 2008. Proc. 58th (pp. 186–190). IEEE

  10. Wang G, Woods W, Ding H, Mina E (2009) Novel on-chip high performance slow wave structure using discontinuous microstrip lines and multi-layer ground for compact millimeter wave applications. In: Electronic Components and Technology Conference, 2009. ECTC 2009. Proc. 59th (pp. 1606-1611). IEEE

  11. Wang G, Woods W, Xu J, Mina E (2011) On-chip high performance slow wave transmission lines using 3D steps for compact millimeter wave applications. In: Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), 2011 I.E. Proc. 61st (pp. 1047–1051). IEEE

  12. Zhang YP, Sun M, Guo LH (2005) On-chip antennas for 60-GHz radios in silicon technology. IEEE Trans on Elec Devices 52(7):1664–1668

  13. Zhang H, Hoffmann A, Divan R, Wang P (2009) Direct current effects on high-frequency properties of patterned permalloy thin films. IEEE Trans Magn 45(12):5296–5300

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work is supported in part by NSF under the Award No 1253929. Fabrication of device using Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory was supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The authors would also like to thanks ANSYS for software support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microwave Applications Group, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    B. M. Farid Rahman, Yujia Pengpeng, Tengxing Wang & Guoan Wang

  2. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA

    Tian Xia

Authors
  1. B. M. Farid Rahman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yujia Pengpeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tengxing Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tian Xia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Guoan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yujia Pengpeng.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Th. Haniotakis

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rahman, B.M.F., Pengpeng, Y., Wang, T. et al. On-Wafer Calibration Technique for High Frequency Measurement with Simultaneous Voltage and Current Tuning. J Electron Test 31, 67–73 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10836-014-5496-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10836-014-5496-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation