From satellite communications to directional radio links for Industry 4.0 and 5G/6G as well as cryogenic electronics for quantum computing and radio astronomy: The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF will present its latest advances in high-frequency electronics at this year’s EuMW in Berlin. In 2023, the Freiburg institute is particularly well represented at Europe’s leading trade fair for radar, microwave and high-frequency technology: In addition to the exhibition booth, Fraunhofer IAF researchers are participating in 18 conference presentations, eleven of them as main speakers.

Moise Safari Mugisho from Fraunhofer IAF, for example, will present his latest advances in millimeter-wave monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) and modules at EuMW. Among them are remarkable results such as the 42 % power added efficiency (PAE) of a 24 GHz harmonic injection Doherty power amplifier.

Felix Heinz gives a talk on a cryogenic small-signal and noise model for 50 nm metamorphic high-electron-mobility transistors (mHEMTs), which is capable of precisely describing the radio frequency (RF) properties of such transistors when operated with lowest DC power consumption at cryogenic temperatures. The model predicts the electrical behavior at drain currents and drain voltages as low as 1 mA/mm and 0.05 V, respectively. The presented model is widely scalable in terms of gate width and number of gate finger, which covers at least the absolute gate width range from 10–480 µm. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a scalable cryogenic small-signal and noise model that is able to describe transistors down to DC powers as low as at least 0.05 mW/mm.

Furthermore, Philipp Neininger will present an ultra-wideband digital step attenuator (DSA) for the frequency bands between 40 and 220 GHz, based on the 35 nm mHEMT technology of Fraunhofer IAF. A paper by Laurenz John describes the results of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) development for the Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) of the European Space Agency (ESA). Three LNA circuits, covering the frequency bands around 54 GHz, 89 GHz as well as 165 to 183 GHz, have been fabricated in a 50 nm InGaAs channel mHEMT technology, packaged into waveguide modules, and qualified for the AWS proto-flight model.

Peak results in efficiency will be shown in Bharath Kumar Cimbili’s paper on current state-of-the-art E-band GaN power amplifiers. The power amplifiers demonstrated in this work exceed previous power amplifier III-V technologies in terms of efficiency and power gain. The design of a V-band power amplifier using the 150 nm GaN technology of Fraunhofer IAF demonstrates an unprecedented power density of 2.5W/mm at a bandwidth exceeding 10 GHz.

“With the outstanding results we show at this important conference, we confirm our leading position in the field of III-V semiconductor MMIC research and development”, says Dr. Matthias Ohlrogge, Division Manager Business Units at Fraunhofer IAF. “Also, the fact that our partners from industry and academia present new findings and developments based on our technology at EuMW 2023 shows our capabilities.” 

An overview of the papers of Fraunhofer IAF is available for download (PDF).

Latest developments at the booth

The EuMW exhibition from September 19 to 21, 2023, in Berlin brings together industry and academia from around the world and provides access to the latest products, research and initiatives in the microwave sector. Fraunhofer IAF will present its research and development activities together with TNO and Fraunhofer FHR at a joint booth (Hall 1, Booth 104B).

Visitors are invited to make an appointment for a personal meeting with the researchers at the booth via electronics@iaf.fraunhofer.de.

Student Career Event

Fraunhofer IAF also participates in a special event for students: Together with nine other leading companies in the field of high-frequency electronics, the institute will introduce itself to young scientists during an exclusive evening event with a presentation and speed dating. The Student Career Event will take place on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, starting at 8 p.m.

Further information

• Information about and registration for EuMW 2023: https://www.eumweek.com/
• Conference program: https://www.eumweek.com/docs/2023_programme.pdf
• Overview of the papers of Fraunhofer IAF for download (PDF): https://www.iaf.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/iaf/documents/veranstaltungen/Fraunhofer%20IAF%20Presentations%20EuMW%20Berlin%202023.pdf