Silicon-Based Energy-Efficient Data Links for Millimeter-Wave to Terahertz Communication

High-speed and short-range Millimeter-Wave (mmW) and Terahertz (THz) data links in progressed CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS technologies innovations have occurred as hopeful arrangements to relax the issues met by baseband interconnect and optical link over particular communication ranges. Over the last ten years, vital endeavors have been made to create mmW and THz data links. Especially, there have been innovative advancements in active devices and circuits, involving low-noise amplifiers, high-extinction-ratio modulation components, energy-efficient source generators, as well as low-phase-noise signal sources. On the other hand, approaches to enhance source output power and to minimize phase noise, along with approaches to attenuate channel electromagnetic crosstalk as well as channel loss have leveraged alternative strategies, like array configurations and systematic optimizations. In this manner, the improvement of silicon channel has become equally vital, to not only extend communication reach but also accommodate densely-packed chip-to-chip data communication. This verifies the rise to an accentuation on both the passive and active components, which is basic in the event that the potential of mmW and THz data links in overcoming the bottlenecks of existing CMOS/BiCMOS innovations. In this paper, recent development of mmW and THz components and data link are reviewed, to showcase the trend for improving the data rate, link distance and energy efficiency.