Single-Chip 220-GHz Active Heterodyne Receiver and Transmitter MMICs With On-Chip Integrated Antenna
Journal article, 2011

This paper presents the design and characterization of single-chip 220-GHz heterodyne receiver (RX) and transmitter (TX) monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) with integrated antennas fabricated in 0.1-mu m GaAs metamorphic high electron-mobility transistor technology. The MMIC receiver consists of a modified square-slot antenna, a three-stage low-noise amplifier, and a sub-harmonically pumped resistive mixer with on-chip local oscillator frequency multiplication chain. The transmitter chip is the dual of the receiver chip by inverting the direction of the RF amplifier. The chips are mounted on 5-mm silicon lenses in order to interface the antenna to the free space and are packaged into two separate modules. The double-sideband noise figure (NF) and conversion gain of the receiver module are measured with the Y-factor method. The total noise temperature of 1310 +/- 100K(corresponding to an NF of 7.4 dB), including the losses in the lens and antenna, is measured at 220 GHz with a respective conversion gain of 3.5 dB. The radiated continuous-wave power from the transmitter module is measured to be up to -6 dBm from 212 to 226 GHz. The transmitter and receiver are linked in a quasi-optical setup and the IF to IF response is measured to be flat up to 10 GHz. This is verified to be usable for transmission of a 12.5-Gb/s data stream between the transmit and receive modules over a 0.5-m wireless link. The modules operate with a 1.3-V supply and each consume 110-mW dc power. The presented 220-GHz integrated circuits and modules can be used in a variety of applications, including passive and active imaging, as well as high-speed data communications. To the best of our knowledge, these MMICs are the highest frequency single-chip low-noise heterodyne receiver and transmitter pair reported to date.

ghz

multifunctional

imaging

slot-square substrate

cmos

GaAs

millimeter wave

220 GHz

model

mixer

single chip

wave

(mHEMT)

microwave integrated circuit (MMIC)

quasi-optical

schottky diodes

metamorphic high electron-mobility transistor

mesfet

sounder

G-band

microstrip

monolithic

lens feed antenna

Author

Morteza Abbasi

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Microwave Electronics

Sten Gunnarsson

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Microwave Electronics

Niklas Wadefalk

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Microwave Electronics

Rumen Kozhuharov

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Microwave Electronics

J. Svedin

Serguei Cherednichenko

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Microwave Electronics

Iltcho Angelov

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Microwave Electronics

I. Kallfass

A. Leuther

Herbert Zirath

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Microwave Electronics

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

0018-9480 (ISSN) 15579670 (eISSN)

Vol. 59 2 466-478

Areas of Advance

Information and Communication Technology

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Subject Categories

Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering

DOI

10.1109/TMTT.2010.2095028

More information

Created

10/7/2017