Workshops and Short Courses

The ongoing explosion of commercial telecommunications demands innovation across all aspects of next-generation wireless systems. At the component and device levels, novel materials are critical to new device technologies throughout the microwave and mm-wave frequency range. Novel, functional materials enable reconfigurability, tunability, enhancement of transport, and control of loss. In turn, this functionality enables a wide variety of applications, including tunable filters, adaptive networks, MIMO components, and beam-steering. This workshop explores the role of novel materials in next-generation communications, starting from the properties of isolated “building blocks” and extending to the engineering of complex devices and components. Like the field of microwave materials itself, this workshop will begin with a foundation of materials development and characterization. Materials of interest include ferroelectrics, ferrites, phase change materials, and novel nanomaterials. The workshop will extend to the engineering of components for next-generation wireless systems, with a focus on connecting material properties to performance.

The 5G and IoT future with enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency self-driving car communication and Massive Machine learning are driving RFIC designers to discover and investigate new design techniques using state-of-the-art technology. This workshop will provide the community in-depth understanding of new and underlying FDSOI CMOS capability (extended back biasing, flip-well, etc.), FinFET and GaN technologies, followed by advanced RFIC examples such as high-speed direct RF sampling and 60GHz CMOS. An introduction to emerging 3D and heterogeneous technology combining high-speed InP with digital CMOS for RFIC will provide both the experienced designer and early researchers attendee with a broad and deep overview of technology for next-generation RFIC design.

Interfacing mm-wave ICs with antennas remains a critical challenge for emerging mm-wave communication, sensor, and radar transceivers. This workshop will focus on the integration of antenna, antenna-arrays and antenna interfaces for microwave and mm-wave sensors and communications applications. The state-of-the-art in Antenna-in-Package (AiP) technology, targeting 5G arrays and 77GHz automotive radar, will be presented. In addition, the workshop will explore emerging Antenna-on-Chip (AoC) approaches focusing on techniques for improved efficiency, bandwidth and manufacturability. Such approaches include combining lenses and superstrates with on-chip antennas, multi-port antennas on high-resistivity substrates as well as micromachining techniques to minimize substrate losses and maximize antenna efficiency and bandwidth. Techniques to further extend system-level performance using antenna-IC co-integration and multi-port driven radiators will also be discussed. Workshop participants should get a very good overview of integrated antenna performance and limitations from this workshop.

Powerful design, characterization, and implementation tools of electronic devices have become easier than ever to acquire by commercial and government entities alike. This, along with the know-how of electronic design becoming globally accessible, opens the door to various activities that pose serious security risks. Some of these activities are incentivized only by commercial interests and profit, such as counterfeiting and IP theft, and others are driven by more malicious motives such as spying on, disrupting of, or interfering with the operation of a system. Regardless of the motivation, the question of how to improve the immunity of electronic devices to nefarious activities is a pressing one. This workshop discusses the security challenges associated with the analog, RF, and power portions of electronic systems, their place in the grand scheme of hardware security, why they are particularly vulnerable, how they can be exploited, and potential ways to address their security vulnerabilities.

For more than a decade mm-Wave has been a technology waiting to take off. We have 5G, radar, 802.11ay and many more product scenarios than when 802.15.3c (WPAN) was drafted. This workshop will present state-of-the-art circuits and techniques for 5G mm-Wave to Sub-THz that are driving product development now and in the near future. Where are we today in terms of circuit design? Which technology, which spectrum allowance, which standardization?

Complex electronic-photonic integrated systems for fiber optical communication applications are now produced commercially at high volume. In particular, the silicon photonic integrated system ecosystem, including foundry processes, design tools, packaging, has greatly matured over the past few years. The silicon photonic market alone is estimated to be worth $500M in 2018, $1B in 2020, and over $2B by 2024 [Source: Yole Développement]. A large number of other applications can benefit from electronic-photonic integrated systems, in particular within the silicon photonic technology platform. Three-dimensional (3D) cameras, already used in iPhone X, can become mainstream in smartphones. Solid-state infrared lidars can enable low-cost sensors for self-driving cars and drones. Electronic-photonic integrated sensors may be used in biomedical applications. This workshop brings some of the prominent researchers from academic and industrial research labs to cover the latest advancements of electronic-photonic integrated systems with emphasis on sensors.

It is suggested that 5G communications will be comprised of a combination of the existing cellular and ISM bands in the sub-6GHz spectrum, along with near mm-wave bands (e.g., K and Ka) and mm-wave bands (e.g., W and V). This workshop focuses on power amplifier and transmitter designs and architectures in the sub-6GHz spectrum that can include highly digital architectures (DPAs, charge-based TX), as well as architectural innovation (e.g., Cartesian combiners and magnetic free circulators). To explore the pathways that will enable 5G communications, the workshop will highlight recent trends in PAs and transmitters that can be used to enable digital beamforming, multi-beam TX, and enhance energy efficiency and linearity. Additionally, we will explore the emerging topics of co-existence and simultaneous transmit and receive.

The 5G and IoT future with enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) and massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) is open for new applications in high volume deployment that will benefit from 5G’s ultra-fast networks and real-time responsiveness, such as mMTC for solar-powered nodes (street-light) or other innovations to help city-wide infrastructure, or device-to-device public safety communications without a need for cellular coverage. Novel applications and network techniques demand that RFIC designers discover and investigate new designs to allow the high volume of use-cases based on and beyond 5G. The motivation of this workshop is to capture what is the state at the edge of IoT technology, what is the demand of the industry in the context of innovation, as well, what are circuit and architectural concepts that are demanded or enforced by 5G IoT standardization. We focus especially on RFIC circuits design and technologies competing for today’s and tomorrow’s applications in 5G IoT.

As the field of quantum computing continues to grow, numerous opportunities will emerge for RFIC designers to contribute. For instance, quantum processors are typically interfaced to using microwave control and readout, and, for the field to continue to succeed, these interfaces must be simplified and integrated. The goal of this workshop is, first to provide enough background so that the need for RFIC designers is clear, and then to describe the current state-of-the-art in quantum computing hardware as well as where the field is heading. The workshop will begin with a tutorial designed to introduce RF circuit designers to the field of quantum computing. Following this, world experts will present research spanning a wide range of topics including CMOS-compatible qubit technology, quantum limited amplification, microwave qubit readout, CMOS RFICs for quantum computing, and system-level challenges related to building a practical quantum computer.

There is a growing demand for high data rate, short-range communications to support near-future 5G networks and wireless broadband networks (WLAN), with speculation that 50 billion mm-wave wireless devices will be deployed worldwide by 2024. These transceivers will require mm-wave power amplifiers (PAs) that operate at frequencies well above 10GHz and support wide instantaneous bandwidths. This workshop brings together experts from academia and industry to highlight recent works and performance trends in mm-Wave PAs; detail advanced architectures and design concepts using silicon CMOS, FINFETs, and GaN; discuss techniques to maintain high PA efficiency at mm-Wave while meeting the stringent 5G linearity requirements; and introduce new PA architectures to achieve broadest reported bandwidths. Additionally, this workshop examines process technology and assembly limitations for delivering power at these high frequencies, with comparisons between silicon, GaN, and GaAs processes.

Future applications, such as 5G, SatCom, AR/VR and radar imaging, need a large-scale array system. Such a system requires highly integrated RFICs for the growing channel number, easy system integration and cost/area optimization. This workshop addresses key design challenges in components, integration and overall system in such systems. The focus would be on manufacturing friendly techniques for interfacing mm-wave arrays with antennas both for single-element and large-scale arrays, and will also help to understand evolution from Phased Arrays to MIMO Arrays.

Autonomous driving has the potential to revolutionize not only transportation but also the entire society. Every year, more than a million lives are cut short due to traffic accidents. Autonomous driving could significantly reduce these fatalities and improve the quality of life for millions of commuters. The intelligence behind such technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning will rely on a number of advanced sensors and connectivity nodes generating and processing large amounts of data. This workshop will delve into the latest technologies that enable self-driving cars, focusing on sensing and connectivity and their impact on RFIC requirements and design.

Four engaging technical leaders from industry and academia will cover the latest in high-performance RF receiver architectures. To frame the workshop, Dr. Jon Strange will present the latest advancements in commercial receiver ICs and wireless systems. The following three speakers will cover receiver techniques on the horizon: Dr. Tong Zhang will share self-interference cancellation techniques in frequency-division-duplex and full-duplex receivers; Dr. Peter Kinget will motivate compressed sensing systems for interference detection; and Dr. Ramesh Harjani will discuss how N-path mixer-first receivers are used for spread-spectrum interference mitigation. Finally, to adjourn the workshop, a short but lively panel discussion will be moderated to discuss the likely future of RF receiver architectures.

5G Front-End Modules (FEM) for below 6GHz and at mm-wave frequencies pose daunting design challenges to fit within the phased-array antenna element spacing constraints. The challenge is to create solutions that will meet or exceed electrical, mechanical, thermal and cost requirements for both the UE and BS use cases. The close proximity of components points to the need for optimized design to achieve signal integrity and reduced insertion losses imposed by interconnects and packaging techniques at the chip, module, and board levels. This workshop will address design and manufacturing techniques by bringing together the subject matter experts from the IEEE EPS and the MTT-S communities. The workshop will highlight advances in the 2.5D/3D multichip module (MCM) integration from leading Outsourced Assembly and Test (OSAT) foundries, advanced materials, Antenna in Package (AiP) versus Antenna On Chip (AoC) trades, novel integrated circuits, beam-forming techniques, and EDA tools for co-engineering to realize high-performance 5G FEMs.

Over the past decades, the RF/microwave community has expanded and benefited from the rapid development of the semiconductor industry. Advances in exploratory materials and structures have enabled devices switching at higher frequency, while keeping a compact form factor and increasing energy efficiency. These devices are now reaching the level of industrial maturity to meet the requirements for 5G power applications at mm-wave frequencies and beyond. In this one-day workshop, nine invited talks from semiconductor experts, academic researchers and the global end-users will be presented. The workshop will cover all key aspects of advanced technologies for 5G, including 1) mm-wave GaN devices and integration, 2) ultra broadband RF SoC, 3) integration for RF transceivers, and 4) wafer-level packaging for high frequency devices. It will give the attendees a comprehensive exposure to the latest 5G technological solutions and breakthrough.

Frequency synthesis plays a key role in virtually all present-day commercial, industrial and test and measurement systems. State-of-the-art low-noise frequency synthesis is a particularly important technical asset to high-speed telecommunications, efficient management of the wireless spectrum and high-resolution imaging. Overall performance of various technologies depends on, and is often limited by, phase and amplitude noise fluctuations in oscillators and frequency synthesizers. This full-day workshop will focus on modern low phase noise oscillator and frequency synthesizer techniques. The RF/microwave industry feels persistent pressure to deliver higher performance, higher functionality, smaller size, lower power consumption and lower cost synthesizer designs. Various synthesizer architectures along with their main characteristics will be analyzed. The new market demands, design challenges and possible solutions will be discussed. In respect to phase noise performance, synthesizer designers primarily rely on ovenized crystal oscillators (OCXO), which will be reviewed in detail. Longer-term major breakthroughs are expected operating the reference with other physical principles or materials. For example, the phase noise exceeding -170dBc/Hz at 10kHz offset at 10GHz output for a sapphire resonator based oscillator has been reported. These quality expectations will dramatically change conceptual approaches for building new synthesizers or even the whole way of thinking about this problem. State-of-the-art low-phase-noise oscillator techniques including sapphire loaded cavity oscillators, optoelectronic and atomic methods will also be covered.

5G spectrum is presently open world-wide to sub-6GHz and mm-Wave bands at 26GHz, 28GHz, and other bands at 40GHz, 60GHz (V) and 71-86GHz (E) are under evaluation in most parts of the world. Different power amplifier architectures and process technology approaches are in competition to cover these 5G opened bands. This workshop will benchmark the state-of-the-art power amplifier techniques targeting mm-Wave frequency for 5G applications, and will present the status of different processes addressing the Power Amplifier applications such as silicon based, III-V, GaN and InP technologies. Finally we will discuss the match between these technologies’ specificities and the different 5G application requests.

The design of future communication systems poses several challenges in terms of required bandwidth, power, efficiency, and costs. The workshop aims at discussing how these challenges can be tackled by adopting skills and techniques that, although acquired by the microwave community, are still too fragmented. More specifically, the workshop will focus on measurements, which are a crucial step at each design level, from semiconductor devices to circuits and systems. Speakers will show how a deep understanding of the measurement quality is of critical importance and remains an unavoidable step for the design of the next-generation microwave circuits and systems. Emphasis will be placed on wideband measurements accounting for new modulation techniques. Finally, different examples of circuit and system designs oriented to 5G and IoT applications will be presented. It will be emphasized how simulations and measurements merge together in modern design techniques to give rise to first-pass design strategies.

mm-waves have found uses for radar, communications, and most recently in 5G applications and beyond. Power amplifiers are limiting components due to their energy consumption, bandwidth limitation, and gain limitation. This workshop will focus on recent innovations in power amplifier IC design techniques with specific emphasis on their realization at mm-wave frequencies. These include design and layout techniques for efficiency enhancement, linearity improvements, thermal management, memory effects, and bandwidth and gain extension. Many of these state-of-the-art improvements can be linked to power amplifier device technology whose great variety will be covered including SOI, GaN, GaAs , SiGe, and CMOS as those differ drastically in their active and passive capabilities and available design features.

As radio integration proceeds apace for 5G, satellite and other applications, over-the-air testing requirements are increasing dramatically. This workshop covers topics related to both measurement fundamentals (spatial data fusion, calibration and synchronization concerns, traceability, etc.), to the structure and measurement requirements of the subsystems being analyzed and to more advanced topics (e.g., MIMO test beds, higher order measurements such as EVM). Even simple transmission phase measurements versus position/angle can be a challenge with disjoint frequency converters and path characteristics changing over the modulation bandwidth. Nonlinear characterization (including emulated load pull) is increasingly needed for the embedded power amplifiers in these systems. Some subsystems under test may employ multibeam scanning or element-level predistortion that require additional characterization considerations. Attendees at this workshop will hear some of the latest thinking in OTA measurements and procedures and how some recent changes in integrated radio/system designs will further influence the measurement landscape.

RFID technology is today widely deployed in industrial and commercial environments with mature hardware concepts. Nevertheless, recent research demonstrates substantial potential to boost especially the achievable accuracy for RFID based localization systems and high-speed communication networks. These advances are primarily enabled through the combination of powerful digital signal processing (DSP) techniques with flexible reader hardware based on software-defined radios. Thus the most promising DSP techniques will be covered: Based on high performance wideband software defined radio platforms with modern self-interference cancellation techniques, novel modulation formats optimized for RFID scenarios in order to boost data rate as well as ranging capability will be explored. Finally, combining several nodes with unprecedented performance into a complete RFID-based communication network enables novel localization techniques, e.g., for autonomous indoor navigation. The workshop brings together all major DSP-based approaches in order to push forward their application in practice and to explore mutual benefits of their combination.

The Workshop addresses important challenges faced by the notions of reciprocity, time-reversal symmetry and sensitivity to defects in wave propagation and field transport by discussing disruptive ways in which devices and circuits are employed enabling new functionalities at high frequencies. Reciprocity can be broken, and nonreciprocal components can be built in CMOS using linear periodically time-varying circuits. Acoustic wave based integrated circuits will be described leading to time correlations and multipath equalizations directly at RF with almost no noise penalty. Various types of circulators for full-duplex and 5G mm-wave applications will be reported. Nonreciprocity considerations include one-way transport of electrons with certain spin in crystals such as topological insulators, magnetic heterostructures such as giant interfacial interaction and voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy, magnet-free nonreciprocal and topological devices and metamaterials based on spatio-temporal modulation, self-biased magnon crystals, two-dimensional layered materials with no magnetic bias as applied to plasmonic isolators and nonreciprocal leaky-wave antennas.

The workshop aims to explore challenges and benefits of design and integration of RF/microwave devices that employ novel magnetic materials and fabrication techniques. We will focus on materials with built-in magnetization that facilitate the realization of self-biased magnetic-based components, and non-linear magnetization processes for advanced signal processing. Integration of magnetic components on semiconductor-based platforms will be discussed, including material deposition, fabrication, and packaging methods as they relate to integrated magnetic devices. Micro- and nanomachining, hetero-epitaxial integration, and conventional solid-state chemistry approaches will be considered. The cutting-edge and comprehensive multi-physics-based modeling approaches and the corresponding experimental data for both linear and non-linear magnetic devices, e.g., RF circulators, isolators, frequency selective limiters, and signal-to-noise enhancers, will be presented. Factors limiting such RF/microwave performance criteria as bandwidth, dynamic range, noise figure, intermodulation distortion, and temperature stability will be discussed along with methods to overcome these limitations and improve the performance of such devices.

Next generation applications, including 5G and beyond, demand integration of higher speed and bandwidth RF functions into smaller volumes, yet with unprecedented levels of power and cost. For addressing these, mm-Wave and Terahertz have found an ever-increasing interest. However, as frequency increases, conventional integration lacks the geometric and interconnecting resolution, and the interconnection parasitic and losses between ICs add up quickly. The 3D heterogeneous integration technologies, employing precise wafer-scale/lithographic integration of III-V with Si semiconductors are demonstrating high suitability for these requirements. This workshop will discuss the current trends and state-of-the-art developments in 3D heterogeneously integrated multifunction circuits and modules, including integrating InP-HBT on Si/BiCMOS, and GaN-HEMT and InP-HBT on SiGe BiCMOS. Improved InP HBT integrated circuit process, BiCMOS controlled InP HBT oscillator for mm-Wave and THz beamforming, novel materials, and thermo-mechanical challenges will be discussed. Further, this workshop will present advanced micromachined and 3D-FOWLP integration and packaging covering 70GHz to THz.

In this half-day workshop we discuss several aspects of the Remote Radio Unit (RRU). This is a remote radio transceiver that is located on the radio mast and is connected to the baseband unit (BBU) typically via a fiber interface. The RRU should support data rates of tens or hundreds of Gbps and MIMO operation. This poses challenging requirements for RF front-ends and antenna beamforming. Therefore, RRU has become one of the most important sub-systems in the distributed fronthaul architecture. Distinguished speakers from leading companies from industry and academia discuss several aspects of 5G infrastructure with a focus on challenges related to the hardware implementation of RF Front-End Modules (FEMs) and beamforming techniques for RRU. Additionally, a vision of 5G wireless networks will be provided. A brief concluding discussion will round-off the workshop to summarize the key learnings and discuss the future trends in radio access networks.

The workshop addresses the “electroceutical” topic: a multidisciplinary initiative for medical treatments using electric/magnetic/electromagnetic power to modulate different body functions controlled by neurological circuits. These functions span from control of neuro-disorders, to heart pathologies, endocrine or metabolic dysfunctions. The workshop will cover the technological aspects, and will provide updated knowledge on modelling interactions between the stimulating signals (in a wide band of frequencies) and the targeted organs, down to the network of neurons. In the workshop, new technological applications related to flexible electronics (at radiofrequency-RF and microwaves-MW) and implantable devices will be proposed, including the use of nanosecond pulsed electric fields to target deep body regions with the new paradigm of the electric pulse bipolar cancellation effect. Advanced modelling of tissues and organs will be proposed under these stimulations to provide the so-called “dose-effects” curve as a meter for controlled and personalized treatments.

Next-generation wireless networks require a denser spatial distribution of base stations and a simultaneous usage of several antennas (MIMO). Moreover, frequency and service agility of the hardware components as well as integration of the RFPAs into the antenna and high frequency operation are pursued trends to fulfill the future requirements. As a result, the RFPAs need to satisfy the following essential requirements: high energy efficiency over a wide dynamic range of output power, supporting large bandwidths, while maintaining a small form factor and flexibility. In this workshop, international industry and academic experts will discuss demands and various perspectives with regard to efficient, extremely broadband and highly linear system and circuit design techniques suitable for future wireless communications in 5G and beyond. Various Si- and GaN-based solutions from cutting edge Doherty designs, load- as well as supply-modulated amplifiers, up to all-digital transmitters and PA approaches will be examined up to mm-waves.

The goal of this full-day workshop is to address the current state-of-the-art of GaN-based RF front-ends for communication systems, with focus on the next generation of integrated one-chip solutions. In particular, the challenges related to the design requirements for system components and the hardware implementation of innovative array antennas and RF front-ends for communications up to Ka-band will be addressed. Speakers from leading companies, research institutes and academia will present several aspects related to the design of antenna arrays, switches and switch-based modules, rugged low-noise amplifiers, high power amplifiers, and novel system architectures. The talks will tackle different approaches to implement front-ends in communication systems in the microwave bands. A brief discussion will conclude the workshop summarizing the key issues addressed during the day. The attendees will be encouraged to pose questions and to discuss design issues that they may have.

Many wireless systems could benefit from the ability to transmit and receive on the same frequency at the same time, which is known as In-Band Full-Duplex (IBFD) and/or Simultaneous Transmit and Receive (STAR). This technology could lead to enhanced spectral efficiency for future wireless networks, such as fifth-generation New Radio (5G NR) and beyond, and/or could enable capabilities and applications that were previously considered impossible, such as IBFD with phased array systems. In this workshop, experts from academic and federal research institutions will discuss the various approaches that can be taken to suppress the inherent self-interference that is generated in IBFD systems, and will present both static and adaptive techniques that span across the propagation, analog and digital domains. Presentations will contain details and measured results that encompass high-isolation antenna designs, RF and photonic cancellation as well as signal processing approaches, which include beamforming and linear/non-linear equalization. Throughout this workshop, state-of-the-art IBFD systems that utilize these technologies will be provided as practical examples for various applications.

Recent developments in system concepts and digital signal processing techniques are the key enablers for advanced microwave sensors and imagers offering unprecedented accuracy and resolution. A profound understanding of the underlying working principles of those systems is a key competence to advance the design of microwave sensors and imagers at component, system, as well as signal-processing levels. In this workshop, those concepts and processing techniques are introduced from both methodology-driven as well as application-driven viewpoints. Imaging radars, holographic techniques, polarimetric decomposition techniques, advanced processing for automotive radar, cognitive radar, and the application of compressed sensing to radar systems are introduced in tutorial-style presentations from leading experts working in the respective fields, from both academia and industry. The workshop provides a unique platform for an active exchange, to learn from cross-platform implementations, and to get ready to actively contribute to the next-level generation of microwave sensors and imagers.

Radar sensors are used extensively almost everywhere to make daily life more comfortable and safe. Recent advances in silicon-based semiconductor technologies and packaging solutions enable the realization of cost-efficient low-power highly-integrated mm-wave radar sensor systems. In this full-day workshop we will discuss emerging (non-automotive) radar applications focusing on industrial, medical and consumer electronics, operating at mm-wave frequencies. Distinguished speakers from leading companies and academia will present a wide range of topics spanning from chip design of highly-integrated radar transceivers in silicon-based technologies, advanced system architectures (e.g. interferometry or MIMO radar), state-of-the-art and future trends on radar modulation techniques (e.g. FMCW using Micro-Doppler effect, PMCW, OFDM, Pulse-Doppler-Radar) up to the emerging applications (e.g. gesture recognition, object classification, glucose detection, vital sign monitoring). A brief concluding discussion will round-off the workshop to summarize the key learnings on the wide range of aspects presented during the day.

Remarkable advances in the available computational power over the past few years, and those anticipated to come, have propelled machine learning algorithms (some developed decades ago) to the forefront of R&D in a wide and diverse range of fields: from medicine to autonomous vehicles and robotics. As the interest in these algorithms deepens, new algorithmic and theoretical developments are reported and applications are explored. These are assisted by the availability of open-source software tools and libraries, such as Google’s TensorFlow and PyTorch. This workshop is a first step towards exploring the relevance and importance of machine learning for microwave engineers, and their CAD tools as used in industry and academia. We are combining a review of the field, its rich past in the microwave community (where artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been used as tools for microwave device modeling for many years) and its prospects, as developments in “deep learning” push the envelope of traditional ANNs even further, creating new opportunities to be harnessed.