DTCO for RF & mmW Applications:Focus on Homogeneous & Heterogeneous Chiplet Hybrid Bonding Challenge
In recent years, there have been numerous technological advancements in silicon-based semiconductors. However, the limits in terms of frequency performance and power seem to have been reached, requiring the development of new type III-V devices (such as InP and GaN) that are faster, more powerful and well adapted for new RF mmW applications. For reasons of flexibility, performance, and cost, it is crucial to co-integrate these new high-performance III-V components with the more traditional silicon technologies. This is one of the major objectives of the proposed topic.
The focus will be on the design and optimisation of millimetre-wave RF circuits using 3D heterogeneous hybrid bonding assembly technology. In recent years, numerous test vehicles have been fabricated and characterised to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of the hybrid bonding assembly process for millimetre wave RF applications. The aim is to extend this work and focus the studies and research on real RF systems, such as millimetre-wave power amplifiers. The DTCO (Design and Technology Co-Optimisations) approach will not only enable the design of efficient 3D RF circuits, but will also allow the adaptation of different 3D design rules to make 3D hybrid bonding technology relevant for the production of millimetre-scale 3D integrated systems.
Digital correction of the health status of an electrical network
Cable faults are generally detected when communication is interrupted, resulting in significant repair costs and downtime. Additionally, data integrity becomes a major concern due to the increased threats of attacks and intrusions on electrical networks, which can disrupt communication. Being able to distinguish between disruptions caused by the degradation of the physical layer of an electrical network and an ongoing attack on the energy network will help guide decision-making regarding corrective operations, particularly network reconfiguration and predictive maintenance, to ensure network resilience. This study proposes to investigate the relationship between incipient faults in cables and their impact on data integrity in the context of Power Line Communication (PLC). The work will be based on deploying instrumentation using electrical reflectometry, combining distributed sensors and AI algorithms for online diagnosis of incipient faults in electrical networks. In the presence of certain faults, advanced AI methods will be applied to correct the state of the health of the electrical network's physical layer, thereby ensuring its reliability.
Evaluation of RF system power consumption for joint system-technology optimization
To be able to increase and optimize wireless transmission systems based on a hybridization of technologies, it is strategic to be able to quickly evaluate the capabilities of these technologies and to adapt the associated architecture as best as possible. To this end, it is necessary to implement new approaches to global power management and optimization.
The work of this post-doctoral contract is at this level.
The first step will be to develop some new power consumption models of the RF transceivers building blocks (LNA, Mixer, Filter, PA, …). A modelization approach has already been tested and validated in the group. In the next step, it will be needed to link the performances of the overall wireless system to the building blocks characteristics. Lastly, the optimization will be applied thanks to an efficient solution. Lastly, the proposed approach will be validated in the optimisation of a multi-antenna millimeter wave wireless system. An evaluation methodology specific to 3D will also be put in place