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1	Nonlinear devices characterization and micromachining techniques for RF integrated circuits Parvais, Bertrand J. H. 10 December 2004 (has links) The present work is dedicated to the development of high performance integrated circuits for wireless communications, by acting of three different levels: technologies, devices, and circuits. Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) CMOS technology is used in the frame of this work. Micromachining technologies are also investigated for the fabrication of three-dimensional tunable capacitors. The reliability of micromachined thin-film devices is improved by the coating of silanes in both liquid- and vapor-phases. Since in telecommunication applications, distortion is responsible for the generation of spurious frequency bands, the linearity behavior of different SOI transistors is analyzed. The validity range of the existing low-frequency nonlinear characterization methods is discussed. New simple techniques valid at both low- and high-frequencies, are provided, based on the integral function method and on the Volterra series. Finally, the design of a crucial nonlinear circuit, the voltage-controlled oscillator, is introduced. The describing function formalism is used to evaluate the oscillation amplitude and is embedded in a design methodology. The frequency tuning by SOI varactors is analyzed in both small- and large-signal regimes. Intermodulation Surface micromachining Dry etching Silanes SOI Release Polysilicon ICP Plasma etching Hydrophobicity LNA RIE Low-noise amplifier IFM Stress Capillarity Linearity Microsystem VCO Silicidation Oscillators Large-signal network analyzer Describing functions Integral function method Silicon-on-insulator Distortion CMOS Circuit design MEMS RF IC Stiction Volterra Phase noise Varactor Tunable capacitor

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Nonlinear devices characterization and micromachining techniques for RF integrated circuits