Mobile phone networks already consume significant energy, and the push toward faster 6G data rates—beyond 1 gigabit per second—will drive that consumption even higher unless the underlying hardware becomes radically more efficient. This research tackles a fundamental tension: higher carrier frequencies, such as millimetre-wave and sub-terahertz bands, are essential for future data speeds, but today’s radio circuits consume more power as frequencies rise. The project builds on the researcher’s existing work in antenna arrays, mixers, oscillators, and signal processing, now extending those components to the D-band and 6G frequencies. It also incorporates additive manufacturing to improve how chips are connected and encapsulated, potentially reducing losses and heat. If successful, the work could produce prototype transceivers that deliver high data rates while consuming less power—directly supporting the UK’s net-zero targets and its semiconductor and telecommunications strategies. The research is applied, with a clear hardware focus, and aims to transfer demonstrators to UK manufacturing and R&D organisations. It does not promise a consumer product soon, but it addresses a bottleneck that will otherwise make future networks both slower to deploy and harder to decarbonise.
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The world now depends on mobile communications. By the end of 2022 there were estimated 1.3 billion 5G connections globally. In aggregate, the energy consumed by these systems is already very significant. Furthermore, humanity seeks higher user data rates (to 1Gbit/s or beyond) needing higher radio system performance, which will lead to even higher energy consumption from potential 6G systems. This will make reaching net-zero targets for climate protection harder. The radio technologies available today consume increasing power with higher carrier frequencies, notably at millimetre Wave (mmWave) and upwards. These high carrier frequencies are needed to support the future data rates demanded. Therefore, research that seeks to improve the overall performance and power efficiency of future radio systems from a multidisciplinary view but with a hardware perspective is still critically needed. The proposed continuation of this Fellowship builds on my work nearing completion in mmWave antenna arrays, mmWave mixers, mmWave oscillators and signal processing -all emerging from the original work packages in years 1-4. So far during the life of the Fellowship the importance of even higher frequencies for future mobile systems has emerged, relating to sub-THz and future 6G systems. To further strengthen the relevance of my work in the Renewal period, I now propose to take forward the best of my emerging transceiver subcomponents and concepts and research them for these higher frequencies, which will be important for future 6G handset systems. Therefore, the proposed work will incorporate new research investigations in power efficient RF circuits, including SiGe, and achieving high RF performance passive systems in InP. Additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities have also grown in capability, and resolution, now with suitability for mmWave systems. Hence, we will incorporate aspects of die connection and encapsulation research using AM. New architectural proposals for high mmWave mobile transceivers for D band and 6G, considering emerging RF hardware prototypes and associated signal processing, will bring the project research strands together. My work is relevant to the UK Government’s Semiconductor Strategy and DSIT Future Telecommunications strategy. As in the first 4 years, the Renewal phase will also result in advanced prototypes and demonstrators. This remains a key method to support impact and better facilitate transfer of concepts to UK R&D and manufacturing organisations wishing to exploit our findings.
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