TY - GEN
T1 - Electromagnetic Investigation of Substrate Coupling for Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits in GaN-on-Si Technology
AU - Yao, Rui Ray
AU - Cui, Miao
AU - Wang, Zhao
AU - Lam, Sang
AU - Taylor, Stephen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 IEEE.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - In this work, we present electromagnetic (EM) investigation into the substrate coupling in monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) in GaN-on-Si technology for high signal frequency up to 25 GHz. By numerically solving Maxwell's equations based on finite element method (FEM), the electric field distribution and then the electromagnetic (EM) coupling are determined in the GaN-on-Si device structures. The S-parameter results disclose that |S21| increases sharply to about - 10 dB for multi-gigahertz signals over a physical separation distance of 700 μ m. Such poor signal isolation remains more or less the same extending to 25 GHz. The computed electric field intensity distribution reveals the EM coupling through the GaN buffer layer rather than the resistive silicon (Si) substrate. These results pose important implications for the implementation of GaN-on-Si MMICs to avoid serious crosstalk and noise coupling among nearby devices and circuits operating at gigahertz frequencies. Effective isolation trench structures or alike would be necessary for suppressing the substrate coupling in GaN-on-Si MMICs.
AB - In this work, we present electromagnetic (EM) investigation into the substrate coupling in monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) in GaN-on-Si technology for high signal frequency up to 25 GHz. By numerically solving Maxwell's equations based on finite element method (FEM), the electric field distribution and then the electromagnetic (EM) coupling are determined in the GaN-on-Si device structures. The S-parameter results disclose that |S21| increases sharply to about - 10 dB for multi-gigahertz signals over a physical separation distance of 700 μ m. Such poor signal isolation remains more or less the same extending to 25 GHz. The computed electric field intensity distribution reveals the EM coupling through the GaN buffer layer rather than the resistive silicon (Si) substrate. These results pose important implications for the implementation of GaN-on-Si MMICs to avoid serious crosstalk and noise coupling among nearby devices and circuits operating at gigahertz frequencies. Effective isolation trench structures or alike would be necessary for suppressing the substrate coupling in GaN-on-Si MMICs.
KW - crosstalk
KW - gallium nitride (GaN) devices
KW - GaN-on-Si technology
KW - microwave signal isolation
KW - monolithic microwave integrated circuits
KW - substrate coupling
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105019931065
U2 - 10.1109/EDSSC64492.2025.11183141
DO - 10.1109/EDSSC64492.2025.11183141
M3 - Conference Proceeding
AN - SCOPUS:105019931065
SN - 9798331522094
T3 - IEEE International Conference on Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits, EDSSC
SP - 426
EP - 429
BT - Proceedings of the 16th IEEE International Conference on Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits, EDSSC 2025
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 16th IEEE International Conference on Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits, EDSSC 2025
Y2 - 13 June 2025 through 15 June 2025
ER -