W/D-Bands single-chip systems in a 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology-dicke radiometer, and frequency extension module for VNAs

Recent advances in silicon-based process technologies have enabled to build low-cost and fully-integrated single-chip millimeter-wave systems with a competitive, sometimes even better, performance with respect to III-V counterparts. As a result of these developments and the increasing demand for the applications in the millimeter-wave frequency range, there is a growing research interest in the field of the design and implementation of the millimeter-wave systems in the recent years. In this thesis, we present two single-chip D-band front-end receivers for passive imaging systems and a single-chip W-band frequency extension module for VNAs, which are implemented in IHP’s 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology, SG13G2, featuring HBTs with ft/fmax of 300GHz/500GHz. First, the designs, implementations, and measurement results of the sub-blocks of the radiometers, which are SPDT switch, low-noise amplifier (LNA), and power detector, are presented. Then, the implementation and experimental test results of the total power and Dicke radiometers are demonstrated. The total power radiometer has a noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of 0.11K, assuming an external calibration technique. In addition, the dependence of the NETD of the total power radiometer upon the gain-fluctuation is demonstrated. The NETD of the total power radiometer is 1.3K assuming a gain-fluctuation of %0.1. The front-end receiver of the total power radiometer occupies an area of 1.3 mm2. The Dicke radiometer achieves an NETD of 0.13K, for a Dicke switching of 10 kHz, and its total chip area is about 1.7 mm2. The quiescent power consumptions of the total power and Dicke radiometers are 28.5 mW and 33.8 mW, respectively. The implemented radiometers show the lowest NETD in the literature and the Dicke switching concept is employed for the first time beyond 100 GHz. Second, we present the design methodologies, implementation methods, and results of the sub-blocks of the frequency extension module, such as down-conversion mixer, frequency quadrupler, buffer amplifier, Wilkinson power divider, and dual-directional coupler. Later, the implementation, characterization and experimental test results of the single-chip frequency extension module are demonstrated. The frequency extension module has a dynamic range of about 110 dB, for an IF resolution bandwidth of 10 Hz, with an output power which varies between -4.25 dBm and -0.3 dBm over the W-band. It has an input referred 1-dB compression point of about 1.9 dBm. The directivity of the frequency extension module is better than 10 dB along the entire W-band, and its maximum value is approximately 23 dB at around 75.5 GHz. Finally, the measured s-parameters of a W-band horn-antenna, which are performed by either the designed frequency extension module and a commercial one, are compared. This study is the first demonstration of a single-chip frequency extension module in a silicon-based semiconductor technology

A tunable SiGe BiCMOS gain-equalizer for x-band phased-array RADAR applications

This paper presents a compact-size tunable gain-equalizer for X-Band Phased-Array RADAR applications in a 0.25μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. An isolated NMOS based variable resistance was used for the first time to tune the slope of the gain-equalizer. For NMOS, an isolated body created by a deep n-well was utilized to reduce insertion loss due to the substrate conductivity. Furthermore, the power-handling capability of the tunable gain-equalizer was improved thanks to the resistive body-floating technique. The designed tunable gain-equalizer operates in the frequency range from 8 to 12.5 GHz with a measured positive slope of 1 dB/GHz and 1 dB tunable slope. The effective chip area excluding the pads is 0.21 mm2, and the total area including pads is 0.31 mm2. To authors best knowledge, this study is the first tunable gain-equalizer in SiGe technology presented for X-band phased-array RADAR applications

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

Active positive sloped equalizer for x-band SiGe BiCMOS phased array applications

This work presents an active equalizer circuit with positive gain slope at X-Band (8 - 12 GHz). Compared to passive examples, the active equalizer realized better filter and impedance characteristics in frequency of interest with increased functionality for a single amplification stage. It achieved close to 10 dB of peak gain, a + 1.13 dB/GHz gain slope with 2.8 dB NF by utilizing cascode topology. The design reaches a -1.5 dBm input-referred compression point (input-P1dB) while consuming 46 mW of power. To the best of authors’ knowledge, the presented work achieves the best on-chip gain, a gain slope and NF performance in the literature as an equalizer that utilizes SiGe BiCMOS technology

0.13 mu m SiGe BiCMOS w-band low-noise amplifier for passive imaging systems

This paper presents a W-band LNA implemented in 0.13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The designed LNA has a peak gain of 20.5dB at 80GHz with a 3-dB bandwidth greater than 25GHz. The simulated noise figure (NF) is lower than 6.2 dB across the entire W-band with a minimum of 5 dB at 93 GHz. The LNA has input P1dB of -16dBm at 94 GHz. The total quiescent DC power consumption of the designed LNA is 16.6mW with a 1.3V supply voltage. Inductors were utilized in matching networks instead of transmission lines to reduce the chip area. The total integrated circuit occupies an area of 0.33 mm2, and the effective chip area is 0.2mm2, excluding the pads. Simulation results indicate that the designed LNA is suitable to be used in a radiometer that has NETD smaller than 0.5 K

A SiGe BiCMOS bypass low-noise amplifier for x-band phased array RADARs

This paper presents a bypass low noise amplifier (LNA) for X-band phased array applications in 0.25μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The trade-off between gain and bypass modes is considered to achieve high gain as well as low noise figure for gain mode while maintaining reasonable insertion loss with high power handling capability in bypass mode. In gain mode, the LNA achieves a measured gain of 17-14.2 dB and a noise figure of 1.75-1.95 dB over the 8-12 GHz band while consuming 27.4mW of DC-power. The measured input-referred I-dB compression point (IP 1dB ) is -3.9 dBm at 10 GHz. When operating in bypass mode, the measured insertion loss is 6.5-5.95 dB over the entire X-band with the measured IP 1dB of 15.1 dBm at 10 GHz, and it dissipates only 1μW power. Thanks to the bypassing technique, an increase of about 19 dB is achieved for IP 1dB in bypass mode compare to the gain mode. The measured return losses are better than 10 dB for both operating modes over whole X-band. The effective chip area excluding the pads is 0.3 mm 2

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

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 SiGe BiCMOS w-band single-chip frequency extension module for VNAs

This article reports the design and characterization of a W-band frequency extension module, implemented in a 0.13-mu m SiGe BiCMOS technology, for the vector network analyzers (VNAs). The frequency extension module has a dynamic range of about 110 dB, for an IF resolution bandwidth of 10 Hz, with an output power that varies between -4.25 and -0.3 dBm over the W-band. It has an input-referred 1-dB compression point of about 1.9 dBm. The directivity of the frequency extension module is better than 10 dB along the entire W-band, and its maximum value is approximately 23 dB at around 75.5 GHz. The total chip area is about 5.9 mm(2). To the best of authors' knowledge, this article is the first demonstration of a single-chip frequency extension module in a silicon-based semiconductor technology