Thermal Phase Lag Heterodyne Infrared Imaging for Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Performance Degradation Analysis

With thermal phase lag measurements, current paths are tracked in a Class A Radio Frequency (RF) power amplifier at 2 GHz. The phase lag maps evidence with a higher sensitivity than thermal amplitude measurements, an input-output loop due to a substrate capacitive coupling. This limits the amplifier’s performance, raising the power consumption in certain components. Other information relative to local power consumption and amplifier operation is also inferred. This approach allows the local non-invasive testing of integrated systems regardless of their operating frequency.
Appl. Phys. Lett., 101 (2) 094101 (2017).