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Future of RF/Microwave Filtering and Memristive Devices in Nowadays Mobile Networks

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A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "E：Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2024 | Viewed by 5187

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Milka Potrebic

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Guest Editor

School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 73, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: microwave circuits; microwave filters; frequency-selective surfaces; memristive systems; circuit theory
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Dejan Tošić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 73, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: RF/microwave filters; microwave circuits; memristive systems; symbolic analysis of circuits and systems; electric circuit theory
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, a smart system living concept is based on intelligent technologies and cloud radio access networks, which affect the development of novel mobile networks, such as 5G and beyond, designed from ultra-high frequencies to millimeter waves. The novel communication networks promise advantages such as faster speed, lower latency, and wider coverage. These features enable the realization of IoT/IoE, virtual reality applications, multi-SIM devices, factory automation, and autonomous vehicles. Furthermore, 5G/6G new radio supports from non-terrestrial access technologies, such as low Earth orbit satellites, are being developed.

Next-generation radio applications require wider channel bandwidths, higher operating frequencies, multi-antenna access, etc. The 5G RF front-ends have complex designs, featuring a small footprint, low power consumption, affordable price, and advanced filter specifications. Filters are among the fundamental components of RF and microwave design. Filtering enables a proper operation of everything from our cell phone to smart homes or cities to electric and autonomous vehicles. The building blocks for the 5G filters are next-generation resonators, the requirements of which are much more complex from those for 4G. The 5G networks could benefit from the integration of different electronic circuit technologies and 3D printed ceramic microwave components, such as filters. Furthermore, reconfigurable multi-functional microwave components could be realized using a FPGA as the control circuit.

In order to optimize the energy consumption in the front-end module, nonvolatile components could be used as RF memristive switches. Memristors are potential candidates to enable reconfigurability and tunability of RF/microwave devices, such as filters. In comparison with traditional microwave switches, memristors are expected to be used as highly adaptable nanoscale switches.

Memristive switches could be good device candidates for microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies, because memristors are non-volatile components with nanosecond switching speed, a possibility of hot switching, high power handling, high figure-of-merit cut-off frequency (above 100 THz), and heater-less ambient integration.

Recent research efforts, inspired by memristor technology, have been presented as non-volatile RF and millimeter-wave switches based on MoS2 atomristors and monolayer hBN.

In order to inspire a discussion and offer an overview of technology trends, we invite researchers from both industry and academia to contribute to this Special Issue with their ongoing research and visions of the future design of RF/microwave filters and memristive devices, circuits, and systems. The contributions should consider, but are not limited to, the following topics:

RF/microwave filters;

Multi-mode resonators;

Multi-band filters;

Planar filter;

Waveguide filters;

Substrate integrated waveguides filters;

Dielectric resonator filter;

Tunable/reconfigurable filters and multiplexers;

Programmable multi-functional RF/microwave circuit;

Multifunctional filtering power dividers/baluns/couplers/antennas;

Optimization techniques for filter design;

3D printing of microwave and millimeter-wave filtering devices;

Wireless sensors;

Memristor modeling and applications;

Memristive devices;

Memristive tunable/reconfigurable microwave and millimeter waves circuits;

Memristors for intelligent RF applications;

Memristve CMOS circuits;

Memristive sensors.

Prof. Dr. Milka Potrebic
Prof. Dr. Dejan Tošić
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

RF/microwave filters
tunable/reconfigurable filters
multifunctional filtering devices
3D printing
RF memristor
memristive devices
sensors

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design of a Compact 2–6 GHz High-Efficiency and High-Gain GaN Power Amplifier

by Yongchun Zhou, Shuai Wang, Junyan Dai, Jiang Luo and Qiang Cheng

Micromachines 2024, 15(5), 601; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15050601 - 29 Apr 2024

Viewed by 271

Abstract

In this paper, a novel wideband power amplifier (PA) operating in the 2–6 GHz frequency range is presented. The proposed PA design utilizes a combination technique consisting of a distributed equalization technique, multiplexing the power supply network and matching network technique, an LR dissipative structure, and an RC stability network technique to achieve significant bandwidth while maintaining superior gain flatness, high efficiency, high gain, and compact size. For verification, a three-stage PA using the combination technique is designed and implemented in a 0.25 μm GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) process. The fabricated prototype demonstrates a saturated output power of 4 W, a power gain of 21 dB, a gain flatness of ±0.6 dB, a power-added efficiency of 39–46%, and a fractional bandwidth of 100% under the operating conditions of drain voltage 28 V (continuous wave) and gate voltage −2.6 V. Moreover, the chip occupies a compact size of only 2.51 mm × 1.97 mm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future of RF/Microwave Filtering and Memristive Devices in Nowadays Mobile Networks)

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13 pages, 3191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Phase Model of the Bio-Inspired NbOx Local Active Memristor under Weak Coupling Conditions

by Xuetiao Ma and Yiran Shen

Micromachines 2024, 15(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030390 - 13 Mar 2024

Viewed by 679

Abstract

For some so-called computationally difficult problems, using the method of Boolean logic is fundamentally inefficient. For example, the vertex coloring problem looks very simple, but the number of possible solutions increases sharply with the increase of graph vertices. This is the difficulty of the problem. This complexity has been widely studied because of its wide applications in the fields of data science, life science, social science, and engineering technology. Consequently, it has inspired the use of alternative and more effective non-Boolean methods for obtaining solutions to similar problems. In this paper, we explore the research on a new generation of computers that use local active memristors coupling. First, we study the dynamics of the memristor coupling network. Then, the simplified system phase model is obtained. This research not only clarifies a physics-based calculation method but also provides a foundation for the construction of customized analog computers to effectively solve NP-hard problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future of RF/Microwave Filtering and Memristive Devices in Nowadays Mobile Networks)

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12 pages, 9658 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Broadband Balanced-to-Balanced Filtering Power Divider Using HMSIW-SSPP Transmission Line

by Hao Liu, Bing Xue and Jun Xu

Micromachines 2024, 15(3), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030358 - 29 Feb 2024

Viewed by 847

Abstract

In this paper, a novel broadband balanced-to-balanced (BTB) filtering power divider (FPD) utilizing the half-mode substrate-integrated waveguide and spoof surface plasmon polariton (HMSIW-SSPP) hybrid transmission line is introduced. Initially, a new HMSIW-SSPP unit cell is proposed, demonstrating a lower upper cut-off frequency compared to the classical HMSIW-SSPP unit cell. Building upon this unit cell, a bandpass BTB FPD is devised employing dual-layer stacked substrates, enabling independent control over the passband’s lower and upper cut-off frequencies through specific physical dimensions. Additionally, the incorporation of isolation resistors and defected ground structures in the BTB FPD enhances differential-mode isolation and common-mode (CM) suppression between output ports. A manufactured and tested BTB FPD prototype validates this design method, showcasing a broad fractional bandwidth of 52.31% (6.72–11.48 GHz), output port isolation surpassing 14.25 dB, and transmitted CM suppression exceeding 34.05 dB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future of RF/Microwave Filtering and Memristive Devices in Nowadays Mobile Networks)

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15 pages, 3979 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Implementation of a Wideband Microwave Filter Design with Dual Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Mitigation for Modern Wireless Communication Systems with Low Insertion Loss and High Selectivity

by Abdul Basit, Amil Daraz and Guoqiang Zhang

Micromachines 2023, 14(11), 1986; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi14111986 - 26 Oct 2023

Viewed by 898

Abstract

By leveraging the advantages of the uniform transmission line, this manuscript presents a broadband high-selectivity filter range starting from 2.5 GHz to 16.8 GHz, utilizing a simple uniform transmission line structure loaded with three-quarter-wavelength stubs. The proposed UWB filter is studied using the ABCD network parameter method. After that, a shorted T-shaped stub-loaded resonator is coupled with the transmission line of the UWB filter to obtain dual-notch features at 4.4 GHz (for long distance wireless ISPs (WISPs), 4G/5G operator for LTE backhaul) and 7.5 GHz (for X-band downlink communication). The overall footprint is specified as 22.5 mm × 12 mm or 1.12 λ_g × 0.6 λ_g, where λ_g represents the wavelength at the central frequency. The operating principle of such a filter is explained, and its controllable broadband response, as well as controllable stopband frequencies, are optimized to show some of the attractive features of the new scheme, such as a super wideband response of about a 148.18% fractional bandwidth; an out-of-band performance up to 25 GHz; five single-resonator transmission poles filtering behaviour at different frequencies, with highly reduced radiation losses greater than 10 dB; a simple topology; a flat group delay; a low insertion loss of 0.4 dB; and high selectivity. Additionally, the filter is fabricated and evaluated, and the results show a good match for experimental validation purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future of RF/Microwave Filtering and Memristive Devices in Nowadays Mobile Networks)

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Review

Jump to: Research

25 pages, 2642 KiB

Open AccessReview

Overview of Memristor-Based Design for Analog Applications

by Imen Barraj, Hassen Mestiri and Mohamed Masmoudi

Micromachines 2024, 15(4), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15040505 - 7 Apr 2024

Viewed by 830

Abstract

Memristor-based design has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential to revolutionize various fields such as artificial intelligence, neuromorphic computing, non-volatile memory, signal processing, filtering, and radio frequency design. These emerging devices offer unique advantages such as non-volatile memory, low power consumption, and a high integration density. Their scalability and compatibility with existing fabrication processes make them an attractive option for industry adoption, paving the way for faster and more efficient architecture design. Researchers are actively exploring ways to optimize memristor technology for practical applications to harness its full potential. This includes developing novel materials and structures as well as improving the reliability and performance of memristors in various applications. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current advancements in memristor technology and their potential impact on the design of future electronic systems, focusing on its applications in the analog domain. By exploring the latest research and development in this field, researchers can gain valuable insights into how analog memristors can be integrated into their designs to achieve enhanced performance and efficiency. The paper delves into the fundamental principles of memristor technology, exploring its unique characteristics and advantages over traditional electronic components. It discusses the potential impact of memristors and challenges in the analog field of electronics, and highlights the progress made in their integration with existing circuitry, enabling novel functionalities and improved performance. Furthermore, it highlights ongoing research efforts to improve the performance and reliability of memristors, as well as the potential limitations and challenges that need to be addressed for widespread adoption, including variability in performance and reliability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future of RF/Microwave Filtering and Memristive Devices in Nowadays Mobile Networks)

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19 pages, 7888 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceReview

Research on the Reliability of Threshold Voltage Based on GaN High-Electron-Mobility Transistors

by Pengfei Dai, Shaowei Wang and Hongliang Lu

Micromachines 2024, 15(3), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15030321 - 25 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1077

Abstract

With the development of high-voltage and high-frequency switching circuits, GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) devices with high bandwidth, high electron mobility, and high breakdown voltage have become an important research topic in this field. It has been found that GaN HEMT devices have a drift in threshold voltage under the conditions of temperature and gate stress changes. Under high-temperature conditions, the difference in gate contact also causes the threshold voltage to shift. The variation in the threshold voltage affects the stability of the device as well as the overall circuit performance. Therefore, in this paper, a review of previous work is presented. Temperature variation, gate stress variation, and gate contact variation are investigated to analyze the physical mechanisms that generate the threshold voltage (V_TH) drift phenomenon in GaN HEMT devices. Finally, improvement methods suitable for GaN HEMT devices under high-temperature and high-voltage conditions are summarized. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future of RF/Microwave Filtering and Memristive Devices in Nowadays Mobile Networks)

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