| Testing millimeter wave circuits can be a challenging undertaking. Expenditures required for vendors' test solutions at those frequencies are costly. Moreover, as vertical integration is gaining momentum, the ability to determine functionality of every layer is crucial. Circuits operating at millimeter wave frequencies are especially susceptible to process variations. Yield is significantly affected if any of the layers is not functional to specifications. To mitigate these effects, a slew of strategies need to be implemented. Process variation monitoring circuits should be included. Non-invasive Built-In-Self-Test (BIST) circuitry is necessary to enable self-repair, self-healing of mmWave circuitry. All these factors call for innovation of simple circuits capable of performing alternate RF tests. This dissertation discusses simple topologies of amplitude detectors suitable for millimeter wave BIST. The detectors can be implemented in different technologies; they occupy a small area, have low power consumption, a wide operating frequency range, negligible loading effects, and a suitable dynamic range. Detectors act as virtual probes that convert RF amplitude information into DC or low frequencies. The detectors' response is discussed over multiple operating conditions with special attention to issues relevant to BIST applications. A differential detector that measures the pure differential component of a mixed mode signal is also presented. This detector is further enhanced to measure both components of mixed mode signals including common mode. System applications are presented to illustrate the advantages of each detector topology reported in this dissertation. Finally, this dissertation concludes with a summary and proposed future work section. |
