Silicon Germanium (SiGe) Design for High-Speed Circuits

Course 194

Summary:

The highest performing high speed integrated circuits in the market are manufactured using SiGe Bicmos. Today the speed of SiGe processes exceeds that of most Compound semiconductors. SiGe Bicmos allows microwave design in areas that were once strictly the domain of other compound semiconductors like GaAs.

This course will review the fundamentals of device physics, modelling, circuit design and layout for BiCMOS integrated circuits. It will cover design exercises in the essential building blocks for wireless, high speed logic, A/D and D/A conveters, PLL/DLL and ATE. Designs will be done using a public domain SPICE circuit simulator.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completing the course, the participant will be able to:

Describe the main applications of high-speed mixed signal circuits.
Compare IC fabrication technologies, including SiGe, GaAs, InP and SOI.
Have a good model for device physics and technology comparison.
Perform a power-speed trade-off in circuit design.
Learn Spice circuit simulator for SiGe BiCmos
State the effects of layout and parasitics on IC performance.
Use Bipolar and MOS devices where they are more useful
Learn the state of the art in mixed-signal circuits like RFIC, PLL, DAC, etc
Design high-speed Bicmos circuits using SPICE simulator

Target Audience:

The course is designed for practicing engineers who are involved with the design of analog, RF and high-speed mixed-signal integrated circuits. It is equally useful to new engineers and to middle level managers involved in these disciplines. Test and product engineers would also add to their skills by learning about the trade-offs that take place in design.
Engineering degree or at least three years applicable practical experience is recommended.

Outline:

Day One

Introduction
• Demand for speed in Internet, wireless and LANs • Cost reduction and increased performance of SiGe processes
Bipolar/Bicmos market: present and future
• Describe the main applications of high speed mixed signal circuits. • Decide between BICMOS and pure CMOS, depending on the product.
Technologies and comparisons
• Compare IC fabrication technologies, including SiGe, GaAs, InP and SOI. • SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors • RF CMOS
Models for Devices
• First order model compares them • Understand the fabrication process • Vertical versus horizontal definition of speed • Parasitic capacitance and resistance - estimation • Metal system in fabrication - MIM, thick metal
Design Foundation
• Review of basic transistor configurations • Cascode, emitter follower and Darlington • The differential amplifier • Biasing networks - current mirror and regulators • SPICE basics and program installation

Day Two

Radio Frequency Amplifiers
• Tuned circuit design review • Passives: inductors and capacitors of common use • LNA, tuned buffer, and power amplifier review • Design of a differential tuned stage • Design of a transmission line driver
Mixers
• Another indispensable block • Works as a selector, latch, multiplier, AGC • Fully differential Gilbert cell • Noise figure and dynamic range • Gain and gain range
Phase Locked Loops
• Ever present block in many communications and test systems • Cell phones, fiber optics, computers, and signal generators • Understand and design the building blocks : VCO, PFD, CHP, divider • Use analog design tools (Spice, MathCAD, Matlab) for system • Phase noise
Digital to analog converter
• Converter concepts, terminology and specifications • Segmentation and binary weights • Switching of elements • High-speed example • Linearity limits
Summary
• Topics for future research • Practical applications for engineers

Subject Areas Covered

PLL/Frequency Synthesis Design
RF/MW Integrated Circuit (RFIC/MMIC) Design

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