IEEE Solid-States Circuits Magazine - Fall 2020 - 30

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Using harmonic-based signal generation and signal processing further dramatically deteriorates the
performance degradation rate versus frequency, worsening as the
harmonic order increases. Hence,
it is more effective to deploy a THz
electronic system based on a lower
harmonic order, preferably on the
fundamental frequency.
Simpler architectures with minimal
signal processing and more powerefficient modulation schemes are
more favorable than complex and
power-hungry designs.

[3]	

[4]	

[5]	

[6]	

Conclusions
Sub-THz/THz interconnects hold
the potential to complement EIs and
OIs by addressing the communication distances for which the EI and
OI face fundamental challenges.
The past decade has seen the development of sub-THz/THz circuits
and systems, and active component
advances are especially exciting,
such as signal generation and modulation schemes that have high power
and efficiency and low-noise receivers and clock synthesizers with
increasing frequencies. However,
due to the strict energy efficiency
requirement for interconnects, it
is critical to maximize efficiency
instead of targeting signal power
and NF performance when tradeoffs
exist. The system output power and
noise performance can be improved
through other means, such as the
architecture-level array configuration. To ultimately materialize the
sub-THz/THz iInterconnect, passive
channel developments are the other
key. Channel attention is crucial to
extend the maximum reachable distance. However, channel dispersion,
including the interface bandwidth
specification, is the limiting factor
for the maximum achievable bandwidth up to a few meters.

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IEEE Solid-States Circuits Magazine - Fall 2020

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