Design of an On-Chip mmWave LSNA with Load Pull and Advanced Signal Sources (Keynote)

We discuss the development of large-signal analysis, the role that on-wafer measurement and electro-optics has played in that development and the impediments to performing large-signal network analysis with load-pull at millimeter-wave frequencies. Then, after surveying approaches that have been tried in the past, we describe a program at NIST that leverages electro-optics, advances in high-frequency integrated circuits and on-wafer measurement approaches to design and construct an on-chip mmWave large-signal network analyzer with load pull and advanced signals sources. Finally, we discuss its mode of operation and present some preliminary results.