Over the Air Phased Array Calibration at 100 GHz

Abstract

Abstract This thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of building and calibrating a 100 GHz transceiver with a 10 GHz bandwidth, focusing on component selection based on performance characteristics and incorporating linear phased array antennas of various sizes. The study emphasizes the role of uncertainty sources such as impedance mismatches, temperature fluctuations, and structural errors in antenna performance, analyzing arrays of 4, 8, and 16 elements to understand size effects on antenna behavior and achieve a coverage range of ±60°. Key findings indicate that 4-bit phase shifters can closely replicate theoretical beam patterns with minimal deviation, while amplitude perturbations significantly impact 8-element arrays more than 16-element arrays, with 4-element arrays displaying greater perturbation tolerance. Temperature-induced phase shifts necessitate calibration for the 4-element array at extreme temperatures, whereas 8-element arrays show reduced sensitivity. The thesis further evaluates two calibration algorithms designed to address systematic phase errors caused by manufacturing error, such as bent slab distortion and irregular phase errors. The mREV algorithm required multiple iterations to align the radiation pattern with theoretical predictions, while the simpler ON/OFF method achieved similar results with a single iteration. Notably, the number of iterations needed for the mREV algorithm decreases as the number of array elements increases, enhancing calibration efficiency.