Facilities

TxACE Sign

The centralized group of laboratories of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence dedicated to analog engineering research and training occupies a ~8000 ft2 area on the 3rd floor of the Engineering and Computer Science North building. The facility includes RF and THz, Integrated System Design, Embedded Signal Processing, and Analog & Mixed Signal laboratories as well as CAD/Design laboratory structured to promote collaborative research. The unique instrumentation capability includes network analyses and linearity measurements up to 325 GHz,spectrum analysis up to 120 THz, and cryo-measurements down to 2°K.

Last year, the researchers of TxACE have received approximately $1 million dollars through the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program to establish a dedicated multiple harmonic load and source pull measurement set up including pulsed measurement capabilities (up to 67 GHz for the third harmonic) and an antenna measurement set up that will allow measurements up to 325 GHz. The close proximity of researchers in an open layout enables natural interaction and compels sharing of knowledge and instrumentation among the students and faculty. The TxACE analog research facility is one of the best equipped electronics laboratories. The laboratory is available for use by TxACE researchers all over the world.

Capabilities

EquipmentCapabilities

Loadpull and Noise Parameter Measurements 2-26GHz            

  • Active , Passive and Mixed LP up to 3 Harmonics
  • Power levels up to 50W
  • On Wafer and Packaged
  • Pulsed and CW
  • Waveshaping w NVNA

Antenna Measurements

  • Near Field : 0.1-26GHz , Near/Far Field : 67-500GHz

Screen Room , Lindgren

  • 8X8″ Screenroom for magnetic and electric Fields

Vector Network Analyzer , S-Parameter Measurements, NVNA Measurements 

  • Various 4-Port VNAs available up to 67GHz in coax and 325GHz in Waveguide
  • Agilent PNA and PNA-X Series
  • Rohde ZVA67 4-Port VNA
  • Agilent E5071A 20GHz 4-Port
  • All instruments Calibrated by OEM

Wedge , Wire and Ball Bonding, Deep Access + regular

  • Westbond 71KE Convertible Bonder
  • 45deg, 90deg, Ball bonding , Tack Bonding , Deep Access
  • Gold and Aluminum , heated 6×6″ Chuck

Laser Cutting , On Wafer

  • EZ-Laze System
  • UV+Green

Spectrum Analyzer measurements , Harmonics, Spurs , Phase noise, Linearity

  • Various PSA and ESA Spectrum Analyzers -26GHz
  • (-500GHz w external Mixers )

Probe Station , RF-mmW

  • 3 Cascade Microtech Probe Stations Available , 1 station THz Capable

 

TxACE Analog Research Facility Sketch

Room 3.810: RF & THz Lab (Ken O, Rashaunda Henderson, Sam Shichijo)

Top left: mm-wave/THz probe station (Ibukunoluwa A. Momson). Top right: THz VNA setup for free-space measurements (Behnam Pouya). Bottom left: RF probe station in 60-sq. ft. metal-shielded room. Bottom right: THz VNA setup for free-space measurements (Behnam Pouya) and Wire bonder (Wooyeol Choi).
 

 

Keysight 50-GHz 4-port PNA-X w/ OML W03VNA extender
free-space S-parameter measurement setup using Keysight E8361C and OML W05VNA extender

ECSN 4.308 High Frequency Circuits & Systems Lab (Rashaunda Henderson)

NSI-MI Technologies 700S-360 Spherical Near-Field/Far-Field Scanner (supported by ONR) used to measure on-wafer or connectorized antennas. The low frequency capability is 10 MHz to 26.5 GHz for near-field and 67-500 GHz for near- and far-field measurements.
700S-360 spherical scanner and Cascade M150 probe station.