EPAMP

E Band Power Amplifier Project (71 - 86GHz)

Financed by:

File number: RTC-2016-5274-4

Program: National / Collaboration Challenges

Partners

• ERZIA

• Ceit-IK4

Summary

The general objective of the EPAMP project is the design and development of a novel solution for a Power Amplifier or PA (from the English acronym for Power Amplifier) ​​of the E Band of MILLIMETRIC frequencies (71 - 86GHz). The solution will consist of the sum of two technological and technical innovations that will expand and add value to ERZIA's product catalog, within the Power Amplifiers family of the MICROWAVE AND MMW SYSTEMS business unit.

These two technological and technical innovations will be the following:

• Design and Development of the PA in SiGe BICMOS Integrated Circuit technology, replacing the usual AsGa technology in PA-s with millimeter frequencies, which means a reduction in the cost of the final product through a double route: the technology itself, and the need for an auxiliary DC power supply circuit (Direct Current) which, being simpler, will promote the possibility of a final product with smaller dimensions than the current ones.

• Design and Development of an Auxiliary Circuit, also in IC, but in this case in a more conventional and cheap CMOS Technology, for the realization of the DC power supply of Integrated Circuits of millimeters, both in SiGe technologies and in the current AsGa, so more integrated and compact than today.

Regarding the results in the form of commercial and market objectives, ERZIA aims to reinforce its presence in its traditional markets, of a marked global nature, such as the Space Sectors, VSAT, and Microwave and Millimeter Systems in general. The EPAMP project will make it possible to give greater value to its current catalog, by betting on a more competitive technology such as that of SiGe, in addition to making the IP of the designed chips a first-rate weapon when competing in the market.

Ceit's role in the project

The main objectives of the project mentioned can be specified in the following points to be carried out by Ceit:

• Design and development of an E-band power amplifier (71-86GHz) in the form of MMIC (“Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuit”) and Silicon-Germanium (Si-Ge) technology.

• Added extended functionality to the amplifier: Quadratic temperature compensated RF output detector.

• Study of the linearization of the PA in band E.

• Design and development of an auxiliary IC for adjustable polarizations of ERZIA's IC-s PA-s (AsGa technology). It will also include the option of feeding the PA developed in Si-Ge technology.