Ultra Low Power Consumption Low Noise Cryogenics and Ambient MMIC for Space Telecommunications in Q-band – Low.IQ

The main objective of this proposal is to develop low noise receivers in Q-band. Targeted applications are space telecommunications, with potential applications such as:
- Ambient temperature LNAs for Payload applications, where the HF performance, and in particular the noise figure are important
- Cryogenic receivers for ground stations such as Gateways. The use of a cooled receiver circuit translates into an improved G/T, which in turn reduces the antenna size. For such applications, the reduction of electrical power consumption is also a key factor.
The results of this project will have medium term applications in the areas described above, which implies a research project of industrial type. This is important since today there is a lack of high frequency low noise MMICs featuring low power consumption (LPC) for embedded space applications. In the longer term, other outcomes are expected such as: use of LPC MMIC for mobile, communications and autonomous applications for the ambient intelligence.
Within the framework of this project, low noise integrated circuits will be developed at ambient and cryogenic temperatures, with specific LPC through the reduction of the supply voltage. Cryogenic MMIC LNAs operating from 37 to 40 GHz will be integrated into a cooling system, and establish an important technological advance.
This project is strongly motivated by the lack of LPC technology for communication applications. Existing industrial technologies and roadmaps are currently focusing rather on high frequency performance and noise, whereas ultra LPC is not addressed, except in the United States. We intend to develop new technological devices, based on semiconductor materials with narrow bandgap, such as the usual InAlAs / InGaAs heterostructure and an alternative one: AlSb / InAs. These materials are of strong interest since they have very high electronic mobility that should compensate electrical performance degradation related to the reduction of the supply voltage. In France, the OMMIC Company proposes a 70 nm gate length HEMT technology, that while is state of the art; it might be not enough to develop the applications aimed in this project. In order to overcome this difficulty, two strategies are considered within the project: the development of shorter gate length HEMTs (50 nm) based on OMMIC’s technological platform and to investigate a new academic HEMT technology based on antimonide material. These two alternative technologies will be used to realize integrated circuits (MMICs), to be inserted into cryogenic demonstrators.
The most important points to be performed during the project are:
- The development of 50nm and 70 nm gate length InAlAs/InGaAs HEMT technology, and 70nm InAs HEMT (Sb-HEMT)
- Investigation of the Potential of such technologies for LPC
- MMIC LNA's realization in Q-band featuring a ten times power consumption reduction as compared to the current state of the art
- Cryogenic Receivers' realization in Q band
The activity proposed in this project is built up on combined strengths of four groups :
- OMMIC, for its III-V manufacturing activity and associated packaging and qualification.
- Thales Alenia Space, for the development of commercial product for space communications, and the activity of the design of integrated circuits.
- Callisto Company, for marketing and design of cryogenic receiver system
- IEMN, for antimonide HEMTs technology and high frequency characterizations, and its activity on the ultra low power
The work program is articulated around 2 main phases:
-Development of new technologies, and related electrical models extraction at ambient and cryogenic temperatures suitable for circuit design. During this phase, a cryogenic receiver covering 37-40GHz frequency range will be also designed, using technology 70nm gate length HEMTs OMMIC technology, acting as a reference
-Development of low power consumption MMICs for future integration into the designed receiver.