A High Density Small Size RF Test
Module for High Throughput
Multiple Resource Testing
Masayuki Kimishima
ADVANTEST Corporation
1
Purpose
• Trend of RF Test
WLAN
WiMAX
– Increasing Test Ports of Devices
– Requirement for Low Test Cost
BT
GSM
Tx
MINO
LTE
WCDMA
• Requirements for RF ATE
HSDPA
Rx
– A Number of Simultaneous Measurement
– Higher Throughput of RF Function Test
-Our Target of RF Module for ATE– Full 4-cH Resources Integration with Compact Size
– High Throughput of RF Function Test
2
Outline
• Comparison of New and Conventional RF Module
• RF-SiP and RF board Construction
• Core Technologies of RF-SiP
- VNA Front-End SiP
- High Speed SW Technology
- RF Synthesizer SiP
• Performance of New RF Module
• Conclusion
3
Conventional RF Module Construction
Based on “RF-HBIC and Coaxial Cable”
• Circuit Construction
– RF-HBIC
• RF Interconnection
– Coaxial Cable
• Frequency Synthesizer
– YIG-Tuned Oscillator
• Signal SW and Attenuator Circuits
– PIN Diode, or Conventional HEMT
Facing Difficulties in realization of
– Multiple Resource Integration
– Higher Throughput
4
New RF Module Construction
Based on “RF-SiP and RF board”
• Circuit Construction
– RF-SiP
• RF Interconnection
– BGA & RF board
• Frequency Synthesizer
– SiP Integration by PLL-LSI
• Signal SW and Attenuator Circuits
– High Speed SW and ATT MMICs
Achievement of Compact RF Module with
– Full 4-cH Multiple Resources
– Higher Throughput per cH
5
Structure of New RF Module
DIF Board : CH1
SYN Board : CH1
RF Board : CH1
DIF Board : CH2
SYN Board : CH2
RF Board : CH2
DIF Board : CH3
SYN Board : CH3
RF Board : CH3
DIF Board : CH4
SYN Board : CH4
RF Board : CH4
RF-SiP(Synthesizer SiP / 4 Pieces)
Each Boards
for 4-cH
RF-SiP(12 Types / 14 Pieces)
72mm
480mm
400mm
Volume Corresponds to
“ 1/15 ” with Conventional Structure
6
Resource Construction of RF Module
New RF Module
SP4T
VSG
With
2-Tone SG
Conventional RF Module
VNA
SP4T
SP4T
VSA
VNA
CH1
(8Pin)
SP4T
PowerDivider/
With
2-Tone SG
VNA
SP4T
SP4T
VSA
SP4T
VNA
SP4T
Combiner
CH2
(8Pin)
SP4T
VNA
SP4T
VSA
Resource
SP4T
VNA
SP4T
Resource
VSG
With
2-Tone SG
VNA
VSA
SP4T
With
2-Tone SG
VNA
SP4T
(8Pin)
SP4T
CH4
SP4T
VSA
CH2
(8Pin)
CH3
(8Pin)
CH4
(8Pin)
Resource
CH3
Resource
VSG
(8Pin)
VSG
Resource
VSG
CH1
Module Size : 480 x 400 x 262 mm
with VSG x 1, VSA x 1, VNA x 4
(8Pin)
Resource
Module Size : 480 x 400 x 72 mm
with Full 4-cH Resources
Can Operate
Each of 4-cH Individually
7
Outline
• Comparison of New and Conventional RF Module
• RF-SiP and RF board Construction
• Core Technologies of RF-SiP
- VNA Front-End SiP
- High Speed SW Technology
- RF Synthesizer SiP
• Performance of New RF Module
• Conclusion
8
Structure of RF-SiP
SMD Parts
Bare Chip
Inner-Cap
Bond Wire
Top-Cap
LTCC
BGA
RF board
20mm × 20mm ×3mm
ALL SiPs are the same size of 20mm sq.
9
RF Front-End Diagram for One Channel
RF Front-End
Board
RF Synthesizer
Board
RF Synthe
SiP
ATT
BB
Step-ATT
SIP
LO1
RF Synthe
SiP
RF Synthe
SiP
SP4T
SIP
LO2
2 Tone SG
RF Synthe
SiP
VNA-FE
SIP
LO3
VNA-FE
SIP
ATT
ATT
SP4T
SIP
VNA LO1
VNA LO2
ADC
BB
ADC
10
Outline
• Comparison of New and Conventional RF Module
• RF-SiP and RF board Construction
• Core Technologies of RF-SiP
- VNA Front-End SiP
- High Speed SW Technology
- RF Synthesizer SiP
• Performance of New RF Module
• Conclusion
11
Block Diagram of VNA-FE SiP
VNA-FE SIP
(20mm sq,)
Directional Coupler
RF I/O
RF I/O
Isolation Amp
Local Input
Down-convert
Mixer
IF out
(A-ch)
IF out
(B-ch)
12
Measured Data of VNA-FE SiP
Conversion Gain and
Noise Figure
Accuracy
-15
70
-25
60
-35
50
-45
40
-55
30
0
2
4
6
8
Frequency [GHz]
10
12
Noise Figure [dB]
Accuracy [dB]
80
Conversion Gain [dB]
-5
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
-0.02
-0.04
-0.06
-0.08
-0.1
Pin = -20dBm
Pin = -10dBm
Pin = 0dBm
Pin = +5dBm
Reference Input Power : -20dBm
0
2
4
6
8
Frequency [GHz]
10
12
Dynamic range@1MHz BW, Freq-input : 2GHz
= Pin_max - (Floor Noise + NF + Gain) - BW
= + 10 - (-174 + 38 - 10) - 60
= 96 dB
13
Outline
• Comparison of New and Conventional RF Module
• RF-SiP and RF board Construction
• Core Technologies of RF-SiP
- VNA Front-End SiP
- High Speed SW Technology
- RF Synthesizer SiP
• Performance of New RF Module
• Conclusion
14
Settling Time of HEMT Device
Through-ON
power [dBm]
Control
voltage [V]
Definition of Settling Time
Our Definition is
0 to 99.9% (0.01dB)
ON
OFF
Settling time
Ts
100%
0.01dB
0%
time (msec)
Comparison of Settling Time for HEMTs
This
Work
Settling
Time
10-90 %
3 nsec
Conventional HEMT
Our HEMT Product A
3 nsec
0-99.9 %
50 usec 140 msec
(±0.01dB)
Product B
1 nsec
3 nsec
1.5 msec
2 sec
15
Measured Data of SP4T Switch MMIC
0
5
10
15
20
( Insertion Loss Normarize )
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
Settling Level [dB]
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
-70
-80
Settling Time
Insertion Loss[dB]
Isolation [dB]
Frequency Characteristics
0.02
0.00
-0.02
-0.04
-0.06
-0.08
-0.10
-0.12
-0.14
-0.16
0
1
2
3
4
5
Time [msec]
Frequency [GHz]
Measurement
Simulation
This Work
Conventional HEMT
Great Improvement on
Settling Time
16
Outline
• Comparison of New and Conventional RF Module
• RF-SiP and RF board Construction
• Core Technologies of RF-SiP
- VNA Front-End SiP
- High Speed SW Technology
- RF Synthesizer SiP
• Performance of New RF Module
• Conclusion
17
Block Diagram of RF Synthesizer SiP
(Fractional-N Frequency Synthesizer)
Multiband
VCO
(6-13.4GHz)
fREF
(Up to
150MHz)
Phase
Detector
Charge
Pump
Loop
Filter
13 VCOs
1/P
P=2,4,8,16,32,64
fOUT
(0.1-13.4GHz)
1/N, F
Delta/Sigma
48bit, 175MHz
PLL-LSI
18
Measured Data of Multi-Band VCOs
Frequency [GHz]
(Frequency Response & Phase Noise)
15
13
11
9
7
5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Phase Noise [dBc/Hz]
Offset Tuning Voltage[V]
-100
-102
-104
-106
-108
-110
-112
-114
-116
@ 1MHz
off carrier
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Frequnecy [GHz]
13
14
15
19
Block Diagram of Fractional-N
Frequency Divider
Fraction
Delta/Sigma Fractional Modulator
(48bit, 1-1-1-1 MASH)
Fout
150MHz, max
Pulse Width
Enhancing
N-Divider
2 to 32
[F] setting (F=1 to 248)
Dual Modulus
Prescaler
M=4/5
Fin
13.4GHz, max
A-Divider
0 to 3
Integer
Fout 
Fin
F 

 MN  A   48 
2 
 Integer
48-bit, 4th-Order MASH Architecture
- Step Size < 100 uHz
- Quantization Noise Shaping
Around 400kHz Loop BW
Fraction
20
Outline
• Comparison of New and Conventional RF Module
• RF-SiP and RF board Construction
• Core Technologies of RF-SiP
- VNA Front-End SiP
- High Speed SW Technology
- RF Synthesizer SiP
• Performance of New RF Module
• Conclusion
21
Performance of New RF Module
Frequency Settling
Time of VSG
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-100
-120
-140
-160
Maximum Output Power
Frequency [kHz]
Output Power [dBm]
Dynamic Range of VSG
Minimum Output Power
0
2000
4000
Frequency [MHz]
6000
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
Δ+6.7GHz
Δ+0.7GHz
0
50
100
150
Settling Time [usec]
200
< 150 usec
Conventional : 800 usec
22
Conclusion
Compact Size RF Test Module with
• Full 4-cH Resource Integration
– Using RF-SiP and RF board Instead of Hybrid-IC
and Coaxial Cable
– Elimination of YIG Oscillator and PIN-Diode Switch
• High Throughput of RF Function Test
– High Speed Switch/Attenuator MMIC
– VCO Base RF Synthesizer
23