Antonio Raffo, Dominique Schreurs, Marc Vanden Bossche
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The mission of the IEEE Microwave Measurements Technical Committee (TC-3) of the Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S) is to disseminate the metrology culture all over the world. It is a culture of peace since it is based on a fundamental pillar: developing synergistically scientific and technological knowledge based on cooperation, interdisciplinarity, and inclusivity for achieving sustainable progress for the future of all people on Earth. As a matter of fact, the ancient roots of this culture are in the Metre Convention (1875), to which adhere 100 states (64 member states and 36 associate states and economies). In the microwave community, our members give continuous stimuli to the development of instrumentation and measurement techniques that represent the conditio sine qua non to properly design and accurately characterize RF, microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz devices, circuits, and systems. Nowadays, the need of advanced instrumentation and calibration techniques is becoming increasingly essential for supporting the most challenging and timely research topics, spanning from quantum computing, which crucially requires microwave measurements at cryogenic temperatures, to over-the-air multiple input, multiple output systems, where the number of signal paths and wireless operation critically entail innovative measurement hardware in combination with calibration and measurement procedures. The amazing potential and features of microwave instrumentation and measurement techniques allow opening new frontiers in an ever-growing spectrum of applications, among which one new frontier is, nowadays, represented by the biomedical and health care applications.
The microwave instrumentation currently available, thanks to a high level of automation and an extremely simplified user interface, tends to hide the necessity of the deep knowledge required to perform accurate measurements at microwave through terahertz frequencies. As a general remark, it should be pointed out that in the expression of measurement uncertainty, the contribution related to the operator, which in most cases is the dominant one, is often completely neglected. Accurate measurements derive from the profound knowledge of the adopted instrumentation and of the measurand. Low-frequency operation instruments can be considered ideal, but this is clearly not true when the instrumentation is designed to put forward the state of the art using circuits at the limit of the available technologies. Such a consideration justifies our efforts to promote microwave metrology by sponsoring and organizing seven workshops in 2021–2022 in different research fields of the MTT-S community. In particular, the workshops were organized in the framework of the following conferences: 2021 IEEE Radio and Wireless Week (Modeling and Design Tools for Accelerated Design of 5G GaN PAs), the 2021 IEEE International Microwave Symposium (Calibrated Testbeds for the Characterization, Optimization and Linearization of Multi-Input Power Amplifiers, as well as Platforms, Trials, and Applications: The Next Step for 5G and Future Wireless Networks), the 2022 IEEE International Microwave Symposium (Emerging Low-Temperature/Cryogenic Microwave Techniques and Technologies for Quantum Information Processing; Measurement and Modeling of Trapping, Thermal Effects, and Reliability of GaN HEMT Microwave PA Technology; and On-Wafer mm-Wave Measurements), and the 2022 IEEE European Microwave Week (Microwave Design and Metrology for Quantum Computing, as well as Power and S-Parameter Measurements at Millimetre-Wave and Terahertz Frequencies: Recent Research Progress and Metrology Capabilities). We especially mention Prof. Patrick Roblin, who is the TC-3 workshop coordinator.
We are really proud of the continuous and prestigious activity of Dr. Jon Martens, as 2020–2022 Distinguished Microwave Lecturer (DML) (Figure 1). His talk “What Is My Measurement Equipment Actually Doing? Implications for 5G,” an amazing journey in instrument architectures considering the necessity of working at frequencies above 100 GHz and with wide modulation bandwidths, was one of the most requested by the MTT-S community. Another reason to be proud is the appointment of Prof. Nuno Borges Carvalho as MTT-S president. Concerning DML activities, we wish to thank Prof. José Carlos Pedro for his constant efforts in searching for valuable candidates: for the class of 2023–2025 DMLs, we endorsed the candidature of Prof. Joseph Bardin with the talk “Quantum Computing: What Is It, How Does It Work, and What Are the Opportunities for Microwave Engineers?”
Figure 1. Dr. Jon Martens, 2020–2022 DML.
TC-3 consists of 25 members (https://mtt.org/technical-committees/tc-3-microwave-measurements-committee/members/) from industry, national metrology institutes, and academia, including eight Young Professionals and three Speakers Bureau speakers. We especially thank our four affiliate members (Dr. Ricardo Figueiredo, Dr. Debapratim Ghosh, Dr. Gian Piero Gibiino, and Dr. Nosherwan Shoaib) for the energy and enthusiasm they gave generously in all of the activities they were involved in: from the initiatives for the 70th anniversary of MTT-S, to the organization of a student design competition (“Measurement and Extraction of Device Parameters of an RF Transistor”) in the framework of the 2022 IEEE International Microwave Symposium. A number of members retired from the committee during these two years; it is our pleasure to thank all of them for their invaluable contribution to TC-3 activities. In particular, we would like to recognize the scientific contributions to the microwave measurement research field of two innovative, extraordinary researchers: Prof. Andrea Ferrero and Prof. Yves Rolain.
TC-3 members have actively contributed to the advance of measurement and calibration techniques for all of the fields and applications of interest for MTT-S, enabling and boosting the development of entire research areas. During these last few years, TC members have also published extensively in high-ranked journals and at international conferences. Among the many activities, we would like to write a few words on one of the most important TC-3 contributions to MTT-S, i.e., our strong involvement in the development of standards. Many TC-3 members are involved in this activity, as both working group participants and chairs; we especially thank Dr. Nick Ridler and Dr. Andrej Rumiantsev, who coordinate these fundamental activities inside our committee. The standards in which TC-3 is actively participating are as follows:
In the coming two years, TC-3 wants to continue the impactful work of its members in line with the previously described contributions. However, RF measurement science needs to evolve, and new multidisciplinary characterization challenges need to be embraced as they present themselves today and in the near future. TC-3 wants to help the global industry to reduce or overcome these challenges.
The level of integration of semiconductor technology from digital to RF in combination with fast evolving packaging techniques leads to new innovative applications impacting our daily life as we communicate with each other, drive our cars, receive medical care, and more.
“Being connected everywhere at any time” in combination with different forms of sensing is constantly increasing the number of channels and number of states per channel in RF devices. Routing signals from instruments to these devices or vice versa on wafer or off wafer and still being confident in the measurement quality at ever higher frequencies and larger modulation bandwidths is not obvious, and the calibration techniques become tedious and very time consuming.
At the same time, the integration with antenna elements eliminates the “luxury” and convenience of a well-defined interface between the instrument and the device under test, namely, the TEM mode. Consequently, there will be an evolution from parametric testing to functional testing, which is typically very application specific. Emulating environmental conditions from a device, e.g., a transistor, to a system will be essential to minimize the time to market.
Through collaboration within TC-3 with academia and a closer interaction with industries who face these challenges, TC-3 wants to develop in the coming years best characterization practices and wants to help standardization, which enables the development of ecosystems in line with industrial needs. New calibration, correction, and measurement techniques will have to be developed in support of the functional testing while being as independent as possible from specific applications.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2023.3294880