A 6-bit vector-sum phase shifter with a decoder based control circuit for x-band phased-arrays

This letter presents a 6-bit vector-sum phase shifter with a novel control circuitry for X-band phased-arrays using a 0.25-m SiGe BiCMOS technology. A balanced active balun and highly accurate I/Q network are employed to generate the reference in-phase and quadrature vectors. The desired phase is synthesized by modulating and summing the generated reference vectors using current steering VGAs that are controlled by a decoder based control circuit. The phase shifter resulted in a measured RMS phase error <2.8 between 9.6-11.7 GHz and <5.6 between 8.2-12 GHz, achieving 6-bit phase resolution. The chip size is 1.870.88 mm2, excluding pads. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a digitally controlled 6-bit vector-sum phase shifter for X-band

A d-band SPDT switch utilizing reverse-saturated SiGe HBTs for dicke-radiometers

This paper presents a low insertion loss and high isolation D-band (110-170 GHz) single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch utilizing reverse-saturated SiGe HBTs for Dicke-radiometers. The SPDT switch design is based on the quarter wave shunt switch topology and implemented with further optimizations to improve the overall insertion loss and decrease the total chip size in a commercial 0.13-mu m SiGe BiCMOS technology. Measurement results of the implemented SPDT switch show a minimum insertion loss of 2.6 dB at 125 GHz and a maximum isolation of 30 dB at 151 GHz while the measured input and output return loss is greater than 10 dB across 110-170 GHz. Total power consumption of the SPDT switch is 5.3 mW while draining 5.6 mA from a 0.95 V DC supply. Overall chip size is only 0.5 x 0.32 = 0.16 mm(2), excluding the RF and DC pads

A 5-13 GHz 6-Bit vector-sum phase shifter with+3.5 dBm IP1dB in 0.25-mu m SiGe BiCMOS

This paper presents a wideband vector-sum phase shifter (VSPS) with high phase resolution and high input-referered 1 dB compression point (IP1dB) which covers the full 360 degrees phase range with 5.6 degrees phase steps between 5-13 GHz in a commercial 0.25-mu m SiGe BiCMOS technology. A transformer balun and an RC polyphase filter (PPF) are implemented for inphase and quadrature phase (I/Q) reference vector generation while the desired phase states are generated by an adder stage where the amplitudes of the I/Q reference vectors are manipulated with digitally controlled variable gain amplifiers (VGAs). The measured root mean square (RMS) phase error of the VSPS is 7.8 dB. Thus, the VSPS achieves 6-bit phase resolution. IP1dB for the 1st state of the VSPS at 10 GHz is measured to be +3.5 dBm. Overall chip size of the VSPS IC is only 1.22x0.59 = 0.71 mm(2), excluding the RF and the DC pads

High responsivity power detectors for W/D-bands passive imaging systems in 0.13 mu m SiGe BiCMOS technology

This paper presents the design, implementation and measurement results of power detectors (PDs) operating at W-band and D-band. Two detectors are designed and fabricated in 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The measured minimum NEPs are 0.43 and 4.2 pW/Hz 1/2 , and the peak responsivities are 772 and 132 kV/W for the W-band and D-band power detectors, respectively. Both the PDs have wideband input matching to improve the performance over the entire bandwidth and occupy less than 0.37 mm 2 of area. The fabricated chips demonstrate the state-of-the-art responsivity performance to be utilized in W/Dbands radiometer systems

Low-noise amplifiers for w-band and d-band passive imaging systems in SiGe BiCMOS technology

In this paper, two wideband and low power mmwave LNAs implemented in a 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology are presented. The W-band LNA has 22.3 dB peak gain, 17 GHz 3-dB bandwidth (BW) and 8 mW of power consumption whereas the D-Band LNA achieves 25.3 dB peak gain, 44 GHz 3-dB BW while consuming 30 mW of power. Input and output of the LNAs are wideband matched to 50 Ω in their respective frequency bands. Using the measured gains, the effective noise bandwidths are calculated to be 33.8 GHz for the W-band and 58.9 GHz for the Dband LNAs. Measurement results indicate that the LNAs are suitable for low power and wideband radiometer systems

High-resolution vector-sum phase shifters for X-band phased arrays in SiGe BiCMOS

The market for phased arrays are limited due to the cost, size, power consumption and complexity of the traditional transmit/receive modules that are implemented with III-V technologies. The spread of next-generation phased arrays in modern commercial and military applications is only possible by adressing the discussed cost and technical issues. Thus, next-generation phased-array systems plan to use lowcost and fully integrated transmit/receive modules. Considering the high frequency performance and its integration capability with CMOS devices, SiGe BiCMOS technology is an excellent candidate for this purpose. The main goal of this thesis is to develop integrated electronic phase shifters, the most essential elements in phased arrays, in a commercial SiGe BiCMOS technology for X-band while maintaining high performance with low cost. When being implemented on a silicon substrate, electronic phase shifters often become a problematic building block for transmit/receive modules. Conventional electronic phase shifter designs which are built by using only passive elements in III-V technologies can achieve low insertion-loss values due to high-quality passive components and high-isolation substrate. However, the conductive substrate of the silicon technologies that causes signi cant losses for passive components and transistors results in phase shifter designs with high insertion-loss values. Thus, there is a complex trade-o between gain, power consumption, linearity and noise gure of integrated electronic phase shifter designs implemented with silicon technologies. Fundamentals and working principles of di erent electronic phase shifter topologies are covered with a comparative analysis in this thesis. It is shown that, in order to achieve a wideband high phase resolution in a small chip area, vector-sum phase shifter topology is the best solution. Trade-o s between di erent phase shifter performance parameters and di erent vector-sum phase shifter building block topologies are studied and the measurement, simulation results of the implemented vector-sum phase shifter designs are presented

Design and characterization of a d-band SiGe HBT front-end for Dicke radiometers

This paper reports the design and characterization of a D-band front-end receiver, implemented in a 0.13-μm SiGe BiCMOS technology, for use in a direct-detection-based Dicke radiometer architecture. The peak responsivity of the Dicke radiometer is 688 MV/W at 130 GHz, and its minimum value is about 82.6 MV/W at 170 GHz. The Dicke switching frequency is 10 kHz. The noise equivalent power of the Dicke radiometer remains below 20fW/Hz1/2 at the frequency range of 110-155 GHz, and its minimum value is about 9.3 fW/Hz1/2 at 130 GHz. The implemented radiometer achieves an NETD of 0.13K for a back-end integration time of 30ms. Its total chip area is approximately 1.7mm2, and the overall quiescent DC power consumption is 33.8 mW. To the authors' best knowledge, the implemented Dicke radiometer achieves the best NETD in the literature

A high dynamic range power detector at x-band

This letter presents an X-band power detector in a 0.25-mu m SiGe BiCMOS technology which utilizes a novel technique, cascode configuration with diode connected PMOS load that provides high responsivity, high dynamic range and wide-band input matching for various input powers. This configuration achieves a dynamic range of 52 dB, which is the highest dynamic range for a single stage X-band power detector to the best of author's knowledge. The total chip area is 0.42 mm(2), including pads. Total power consumption is 7.2 mW. Results demonstrate that such a power detector can be used for built-in digital self calibration of X-band front-end circuits

Design of monocrystalline Si/SiGe multi-quantum well microbolometer detector for infrared imaging systems

This paper presents the design, modelling and simulation results of silicon/silicon-germanium ( Si/SiGe) multi-quantum well based bolometer detector for uncooled infrared imaging system. The microbolometer is designed to detect light in the long wave length infrared ( LWIR) range from 8 to 14 mu m with pixel size of 25 x25 mu m. The design optimization strategy leads to achieve the temperature coefficient of resistance ( TCR) 4.5%/K with maximum germanium ( Ge) concentration of 50%. The design of microbolometer entirely relies on standard CMOS and MEMS processes which makes it suitable candidate for commercial infrared imaging systems

Front-end blocks of a w-band Dicke radiometer in SiGe BiCMOS technology

In this paper, design methodology and measurement results of W-Band Dicke radiometer blocks are presented. The Dicke radiometer blocks are implemented in IHPs 0.13-μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. All the implemented blocks, namely the SPDT switch, LNA and the power detector demonstrate the state of the art performance at W-Band. The SPDT has a measured IL of 1.8 dB and 20 dB isolation. The LNA achieves a peak gain of 22.3 dB and 4.2 dB NF and the PD has a NEP better than 0.5 pW/Hz. To achieve the minimum NETD, all the blocks are designed to be as wideband as possible. Using the measurement and simulation results, the achievable NETD of the radiometer is calculated to be better than 0.5 K