A 77-GHz MMIC power amplifier for automotive radar applications

A MMIC 77-GHz two-stage power amplifier (PA) is reported in this letter. This MMIC chip demonstrated a measured small signal gain of over 10 dB from 75 GHz to 80 GHz with 18.5-dBm output power at 1 dB compression. The maximum small signal gain is above 12 dB from 77 to 78 GHz. The saturated output power is better than 21.5 dBm and the maximum power added efficiency is 10% between 75 GHz and 78 GHz. This chip is fabricated using 0.1-/spl mu/m AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs PHEMT MMIC process on 4-mil GaAs substrate. The output power performance is the highest among the reported 4-mil MMIC GaAs HEMT PAs at this frequency and therefore it is suitable for the 77-GHz automotive radar systems and related transmitter applications in W-band.     

A 77-GHz FM/CW radar front-end with a low-profile low-loss printedantenna

Design and results of a 77-GHz frequency-modulation/continuous-wave radar sensor based on a simple waveguide circuitry and a novel type of printed, low-profile, and low-loss antenna are presented. A Gunn voltage-controlled oscillator and a finline mixer act as transmitter and receiver, respectively, connected by two E-plane couplers. The folded reflector-type antenna consists of a printed slot array and another planar substrate, which, at the same time, provides twisting of the polarization and focusing of the incident wave. The performance of the radar is described, together with the initial results of a scanning of the antenna beam     

A compact, high-gain, 2-20-GHz MMIC amplifier

The authors describe an advanced MMIC amplifier providing a 20-dB gain block over the 2-20-GHz frequency range. The chip requires only three external bias capacitors and is well suited to automatic assembly. By simultaneously offering improved gain, power, and circuit density in the 2-20-GHz range, a significant advancement in single chip performance has been achieved     

应用于60GHz的CMOS频率生成器

本文提出一种用于60GHz的频率生成器,其由电流模二分频器和倍频器组成. 得益于电流模结构和差分对的非线性,该频率生成器具有很宽的工作频率范围以补偿工艺,电压和温度的偏差。频率生成器用90nm 工艺投片验证。芯片的面积为0.64X0.65mm^2,。测试结果表明在输入0dBm功率的时候,该频率生成器可以工作在15GHz-25GHz。整个芯片工作电压是1.2V,消耗12.1mW功耗。     

94-GHz TWT for military radar applications

For future military radar applications, high frequency, light-weight TWTs become more and more important. To cover this market, Thomson Tubes Electroniques GmbH several years ago started the development of a 94-GHz TWT. The goal of this program was a TWT (double comb delay line structure) in the 94-GHz frequency range with an instantaneous bandwidth greater than 500 MHz (tunable within 1 GHz) and an output peak power greater than 200 W in the center of the band (150 W over the band) for a duty cycle of max. 10%. The basic design and main test results of the 94-GHz TWT are the content of this paper     

A compact LTCC-based Ku-band transmitter module

Presents design, implementation, and measurement of a three-dimensional (3-D)-deployed RF front-end system-on-package (SOP) in a standard multi-layer low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology. A compact 14 GHz GaAs MESFET-based transmitter module integrated with an embedded bandpass filter was built on LTCC 951AT tapes. The up-converter MMIC integrated with a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) exhibits a measured up-conversion gain of 15 dB and an IIP3 of 15 dBm, while the power amplifier (PA) MMIC shows a measured gain of 31 dB and a 1-dB compression output power of 26 dBm at 14 GHz. Both MMICs were integrated on a compact LTCC module where an embedded front-end band pass filter (BPF) with a measured insertion loss of 3 dB at 14.25 GHz was integrated. The transmitter module is compact in size (400 /spl times/ 310 /spl times/ 35.2 mil/sup 3/), however it demonstrated an overall up-conversion gain of 41 dB, and available data rate of 32 Mbps with adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of 42 dB. These results suggest the feasibility of building highly SOP integrated RF front ends for microwave and millimeter wave applications.     

A new 94-GHz six-port collision-avoidance radar sensor

A new 94-GHz collision avoidance radar sensor is proposed. The receiver front-end module is based on a six-port phase/frequency discriminator (SPD). The SPD, composed of four 90/spl deg/ hybrid couplers, is manufactured in a metal block of brass using a computer numerically controlled milling machine. Simulation and measurement S-parameters of the SPD are presented in the frequency band. New SPD computer models are generated and used in the system simulations. Preliminary measurements and system simulations performed to obtain the relative velocity of the target and its distance are presented. Statistical evaluations show an acceptable measurement error of this radar sensor.     

A SiGe BiCMOS 24-GHz receiver front-end for automotive short-range radar

This paper presents a fully integrated SiGe BiCMOS 24-GHz receiver front-end implemented for a ultra-wideband automotive short-range radar sensor. The circuit consists of a homodyne I/Q down-converter and a 24-GHz synthesizer. The receiver front-end is able to achieve a power conversion gain as high as 30 dB and a 6-dB noise figure, while preserving high linearity performance thanks to a 1-bit gain control. The frequency synthesizer, which also includes an on-chip loop filter, guarantees a phase noise of −104 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset from the 24.125-GHz carrier and a 4.7-GHz tuning range from 20.4 to 25.1 GHz.     

Design of 60- and 77-GHz Narrow-Bandpass Filters in CMOS Technology

This paper investigates the design and implementation of millimeter-wave narrow-bandpass filters in a standard 0.18- $mu$m CMOS technology. Filters with a measured 10% 3-dB bandwidth at 60 and 77 GHz are realized in a thin-film microstrip structure by using the lowest metallization layer as a ground plane. The impact of dissipation losses of the filters is also examined. It is found that the metallization losses in the coupled-line filter as well as the ground plane are the main reasons for the insertion loss.      

A 1.8-V distributed voltage-controlled oscillator module for 5.8-GHz ISM band

This letter presents the design and implementation of a 1.8-V 5.8-GHz distributed voltage-controlled oscillator module based on bipolar transistors. The oscillator delivered -2-dBm-output power with a current consumption of 11.5 mA. The tuning range achieved was 650 MHz. The measured phase noise was -100 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset. The circuit construction was simple and robust and no buffer amplifier was needed. The design can be used for 5.8-GHz ISM band wireless LAN applications.     

A very thin power amplifier multichip module for 1.9-GHz cellularphone systems

A compact thin power amplifier module for 1.9-GHz cellular phone systems has been incorporated using MCM-D technology and planarization technology of all passive components. The module consists of four Si-MOSFETs and is 9.4×7.2×1 mm, resulting in a volume of 0.07 cc including its shield metallic case. The module was designed with the computer simulator, Libra, and simplified lumped-element equivalent circuits of passive components. The fabricated module exhibited an output power of 33.3 dBm and power efficiency of 29%. These results suggest that these technologies will be very useful for the miniaturization of circuit components for GHz-band mobile communications     

A 0.3-25-GHz ultra-wideband mixer using commercial 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology

An ultra-wideband mixer using standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology was first proposed in this paper. This broadband mixer achieves measured conversion gain of 11 /spl plusmn/ 1.5 dB with a bandwidth of 0.3 to 25 GHz. The mixer was fabricated in a commercial 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology and demonstrated the highest frequency and bandwidth of operation. It also presented better gain-bandwidth-product performance compared with that of GaAs-based HBT technologies. The chip area is 0.8 /spl times/ 1 mm/sup 2/.     

A compact 3R-receiver module for short-haul SDH STM-16 systems

This paper describes a complete 3R optical receiver module for synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) STM-16 short-haul systems, housed in a 20-pin dual-in-line (DIL) ceramic package. The module includes an InGaAs p-i-n photodiode, a commercial GaAs transimpedance amplifier, and a custom-made silicon bipolar frequency- and phase-locked loop (FPLL)-based clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit. The fiber pigtail is actively aligned to the photodiode by using a proprietary technology that uses a silicon-based optical submount assembly (OSA). The use of a clock recovery circuit based on an FPLL allows avoiding an external low-frequency reference clock and achieving a root-mean square (rms) jitter of 0.075 UI. The module requires two supply voltages of 5 V and -4.5 V, for a total power dissipation of 930 mW, and has a total volume below 0.75 cm³ (24.7×9.9×3 mm³). Measurements have shown full compatibility with SDH standards     

A manufacturable technique for implementing low-loss self-imagingwaveguide beamsplitters

A manufacturable technique to implement self-imaging waveguide beamsplitters is proposed and demonstrated. This technique offers low insertion loss and polarization crosstalk, uniform splitting ratios, ease in manufacture, and most importantly application to diverse waveguide material systems. Beamsplitters with splitting ratios that range from 1×2 through 1×17 were fabricated in GaAs-AlGaAs waveguides. For 1×16 splitters integrated with an output ridge waveguide array, the insertion losses in many devices were less than the insertion losses in adjacent straight-through ridge waveguides. The best uniformity spread among the 16 channels was 17.8% and the TE-to-TM and TM-to-TE polarization crosstalks were lower than -25 dB     

A 6.5—16-GHz monolithic power amplifier module

A miniaturized 6.5-16-GHz power amplifier module, which includes T/R switch, dual polarity power supply, switch driver, and gate functions, was designed using two types of broad-band MMIC amplifiers. The two cascade designs were a 900-1200-µm FET amplifier and a 300-300-µm feedback amplifier which were used to provide large and small gain functions, respectively. The module exhibits 35 dB of gain, 1-W power output, and 55-dB T/R switch isolation.     

A design technique for a high-gain, 10-GHz class-bandwidth GaAsMESFET amplifier IC module

A design procedure is proposed for a high-gain and wideband IC module, using stability analysis and a unified design methodology for ICs and packages. A multichip structure is developed using stability analysis and the requirements for stable operation are determined for each IC chip, package, and interface condition between them. Furthermore, to reduce the parasitic influences, several improvements in the interface and package design are clarified, such as wideband matching and LC resonance damping. IC design using effective feedback techniques for enlarging the bandwidth are also presented. The ICs are fabricated using 0.2-μm GaAs MESFET IC technology. To verify the validity of these techniques, an equalizer IC module for 10-Gb/s optical communication systems was fabricated, achieving a gain of 36 dB and a bandwidth of 9 GHz     

A compact dual-polarized 8.51-GHz rectenna for high-voltage (50 V)actuator applications

This paper describes a dual-polarized rectenna capable of producing a 50-V output voltage that can be used for driving mechanical actuators. This study demonstrates a circuit topology that allows the output of multiple rectenna elements to be combined in order to step up the output voltage. In this paper, an independent rectifying circuit is used for each of two orthogonal polarizations. By proper combination, the output voltage is doubled over that of the single polarization case. Such panels are being explored for use on the next-generation space telescope to eliminate wiring between actuators and provide for true mechanical isolation     

A 125-260-GHz Gyrotron

The second gyrotron constructed at the University of Sydney has produced continuous microwave output at more than 60 frequencies in the range 125-260 GHz at power levels approaching 10 W. A gyrotron Iike this, with broad frequency coverage and moderate power output, has a wide range of possible applications, from spectroscopy to scattering from waves and fluctuations in plasmas. In this paper, the results of detailed measurements of frequency, magnetic field, frequency pulling, and starting current are compared with theory. Agreement is excellent. We find that mode conversion at the output end of the cavity determines the level of output power.     

A 1-GHz bipolar class-AB operational amplifier with multipathnested Miller compensation for 76-dB gain

A 1-GHz operational amplifier with a gain of 76 dB while driving a 50-Ω load is presented. The equivalent input noise voltage is as low as 1.2 nV/√Hz. This combination of extremely high bandwidth, high gain, and low noise is the result of a three-stage all-n-p-n topology combined with a multipath nested Miller compensation. Using 10-GHz f_T n-p-n transistors, the realizable bandwidth could be of the order of 2-3 GHz. However, bond-wire inductances restrict the useful bandwidth to 1 GHz. The amplifier occupies an active area of 0.26 mm² and has been realized in the bipolar part of a 1-μm BiCMOS process     

A compact 43-GHz monolithic differential VCO in 0.5-/spl mu/m InP DHBT technology

A compact monolithic integrated differential voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) using 0.5-/spl mu/m emitter width InP/InGaAs double-heterostructure bipolar transistors with a total chip size of 0.42 mm /spl times/ 0.46 mm is realized by using cross-coupled configuration for extremely high frequency satellite communications system applications. The device performance of F/sub max/ greater than 320 GHz at a current density of 5 mA//spl mu/m/sup 2/ and 5-V BVceo allows us to achieve a low phase noise 42.5-GHz fundamental VCO with -0.67-dBm output power. The VCO exhibits the phase noise of -106.8 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset and -122.3 dBc/Hz at 10-MHz offset from the carrier frequency.