Superconducting fabrication process paves way for next generation all-digital transceivers
29 November 2006
News
Hypres, a company developing superconducting microelectronics (SME) technology recently achieved a major milestone when it successfully tested fabricated integrated circuits featuring a critical current density of 20 kA/cm².
Located in Elmsford, New York, Hypres says that this achievement - which represents the third generation of its IC fabrication process - paves the way for the company to build an all-digital transceiver capable of operation in excess of 80 GHz clock speeds.
According to the company, several rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) digital circuits were fabricated and successfully tested, among them, a 325 GHz (speed) digital frequency divider, a 4-bit binary counter, and various input/output elements.
"These test results show that even with our swift pace of progress we are just scratching the surface of the outstanding performance levels this technology has to offer the world of wireless communications," said Richard Hitt, president and CEO of Hypres. "The next few years are going to be very exciting as digital superconducting transceivers, switches and processors make an impact on everyday communications."
In digital superconductivity, critical current density directly impacts clock speed. The higher the critical current density factor, the faster the chip, resulting in higher performance direct conversion all-digital transceivers.
Hypres previously implemented a 4,5 kA/cm² fab process to develop an all-digital transceiver that could operate at a 40 GHz clock rate. These chips use Josephson junctions approximately 1,5 x 1,5 μm in size. It says that this new 20 kA/cm² process now paves the way for the company to make smaller, and therefore faster, Josephson junctions that will allow its all-digital transceiver to operate at an 80 GHz clock.
Hypres has some videos available on its site at www.hypres.com/pages/tech/video.htm.
The US military is interested in an 80 GHz clock all-digital transceiver in order to meet its growing communications challenges. As commercial wireless applications become more complex - via software defined radio, so-called 'cognitive radio' and other technical advancements - Hypres intends to develop its technology to meet this sector's needs as well.
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