Broadband single- and double-balanced resistive HEMT monolithicmixers

A double-balanced (DB) 3-18 GHz and a single-balanced (SB) 2-16 GHz resistive HEMT monolithic mixer have been successfully developed. The DB mixer consists of a AlGaAs/InGaAs HEMT quad, an active LO balun, and two passive baluns for RF and IF. At 16 dBm LO power, this mixer achieves the conversion losses of 7.5-9 dB for 4-13 GHz RF and 7.5-11 dB for 3-18 GHz RF. The SB mixer consists of a pair of AlGaAs/InGaAs HEMT's, an active LO balun, a passive IF balun and a passive RF power divider. At 16 dBm LO power, this mixer achieves the conversion losses of 8-10 dB for 4-15 GHz RF and 8-11 dB for 2-16 GHz RF. The simulated conversion losses of both mixers are very much in agreement with the measured results. Also, the DB mixer achieves a third-order input intercept (IP₃) of +19.5 to +27.5 dBm for a 7-18 GHz RF and 1 GHz IF at a LO drive of 16 dBm while the SB mixer achieves an input IP ₃ of +20 to +28.5 dBm for 2 to 16 GHz RF and 1 GHz IF at a 16 dBm LO power. The bandwidth of the RF and LO frequencies are approximately 6:1 for the DB mixer and 8:1 for the SB mixer. The DB mixer of this work is believed to be the first reported DB resistive HEMT MMIC mixer covering such a broad bandwidth     

Monolithic SiGe Up‐/Down‐Conversion Mixers with Active Baluns

The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of monolithically matching circuits, interface circuits, and RF core circuits to the same substrate. We designed and fabricated on‐chip 1 to 6 GHz up‐conversion and 1 to 8 GHz down‐conversion mixers using a 0.8 µm SiGe hetero‐junction bipolar transistor (HBT) process technology. To fabricate a SiGe HBT, we used a reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD) system to grow a base epitaxial layer, and we adopted local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) isolation to separate the device terminals. An up‐conversion mixer was implemented on‐chip using an intermediate frequency (IF) matching circuit, local oscillator (LO)/radio frequency (RF) wideband matching circuits, LO/IF input balun circuits, and an RF output balun circuit. The measured results of the fabricated up‐conversion mixer show a positive power conversion gain from 1 to 6 GHz and a bandwidth of about 4.5 GHz. Also, the down‐conversion mixer was implemented on‐chip using LO/RF wideband matching circuits, LO/RF input balun circuits, and an IF output balun circuit. The measured results of the fabricated down‐conversion mixer show a positive power conversion gain from 1 to 8 GHz and a bandwidth of about 4.5 GHz.     

毫米波宽带高中频单平衡混频器设计与实现

针对毫米波宽带通信、雷达和测试仪器领域的应用需求,提出一种E波段宽带高中频(IF)单平衡混频器。射频(RF)及本振(LO)信号通过多分支宽带加宽波导正交耦合器输入,通过鳍线过渡结构将信号从波导传输模式过渡到微带模式,并提供宽带中频信号及直流接地回路;中频输出低通滤波器可有效抑制LO及RF信号,并为其提供等效接地回路。利用肖特基二极管的非线性实现混频,并通过微带匹配电路最终实现宽带低损耗混频效果。混频器采用57.6、62.4、67.2 GHz 3个点频本振,将67~85 GHz的射频信号分段下变频至9.4~17.8 GHz的中频范围内。测试结果表明,在67~85 GHz射频频率范围内,射频输入功率为-15 dBm,本振输入功率为12 dBm时,混频器变频损耗为7.1~10.1 dB,对组合杂散的抑制在36 dBc以上。     

60 GHz MMIC double balanced Gilbert mixer in mHEMT technology with integrated RF, LO and IF baluns

A 60 GHz MMIC double balanced Gilbert mixer (DBGM) with integrated RF, LO and IF baluns has been designed, fabricated in an mHEMT MMIC technology and characterised with probed measurements. Although a standard mixer topology for integrated circuits in the low gigahertz region, the DBGM has had very little impact in the millimetre-wave range. To the authors' knowledge, the presented DBGM operates at the highest RF frequency ever published for any FET-based Gilbert type mixer, double or single balanced. A measured down conversion gain of 1.5 dB at 60 GHz is obtained with a DC power consumption of 300 mW. Further, IF bandwidth, isolation between the LO, RF and IF ports, 1 dB compression point for the RF input, and LO input power is presented     

InAlAs/InGaAs HBT X-band double-balanced upconverter

We report on an InAlAs/InGaAs HBT Gilbert cell double-balanced mixer which upconverts a 3 GHz IF signal to an RF frequency of 5-12 GHz. The mixer cell achieves a conversion loss of between 0.8 dB and 2.6 dB from 5 to 12 GHz. The LO-RF and IF-RF isolations are better than 30 dB at an LO drive of +5 dBm across the RF band. A pre-distortion circuit is used to increase the linear input power range of the LO port to above +5 dBm. Discrete amplifiers designed for the IF and RF frequency ports make up the complete upconverter architecture which achieves a conversion gain of 40 dB for an RF output bandwidth of 10 GHz. The upconverter chip set fabricated with InAlAs/InGaAs HBT's demonstrates the widest gain-bandwidth performance of a Gilbert cell based upconverter compared to previous GaAs and InP HBT or Si-bipolar IC's     

基于LTCC技术的C频段星载接收机混频器

利用低温共烧陶瓷(LowTemperature Co-fired Ceramic,简称LTCC)技术,设计制作了一种可应用于C频段星载接收机的双平衡混频器。该混频器将射频和本振巴伦等无源器件集成在多层LTCC基板内,实现了电路的小型化、高集成度和高可靠性。测试表明,当射频输入为5.925～6.425GHz、本振频率为2.225GHz、中频输出频率为3.7～4.2GHz时,混频器的变频损耗≤9.3dB,P1dB为5.7dBm,本振到射频和本振到中频的隔离度分别为39.44dB和35.58dB。混频器的尺寸为40×22×1.92mm3。     

A high-performance W-band uniplanar subharmonic mixer

A uniplanar subharmonic mixer has been implemented in coplanar waveguide (CPW) technology. The circuit is designed to operate at RF frequencies of 92-96 GHz, IF frequencies of 2-4 GHz, and LO frequencies of 45-46 GHz. Total circuit size excluding probe pads and transitions is less than 0.8 mm ×1.5 mm. The measured minimum single-sideband (SSB) conversion loss is 7.0 dB at an RF of 94 GHz, and represents state-of-the-art performance for a planar W-band subharmonic mixer. The mixer is broad-band with a SSB conversion loss of less than 10 dB over the 83-97-GHz measurement band. The measured LO-RF isolation is better than -40 dB for LO frequencies of 45-46 GHz. The double-sideband (DSB) noise temperature measured using the Y-factor method is 725 K at an LO frequency of 45.5 GHz and an IF frequency of 1.4 GHz. The measured data agrees well with the predicted performance using harmonic-balance analysis (HBA). Potential applications are millimeter-wave receivers for smart munition seekers and automotive-collision-avoidance radars     

Monolithic integrated blanking up-converter

A novel GaAs monolithic integrated DC-coupled up-converter is presented. It up-converts a 0.1- to 0.5-GHz signal to 0.6 to 1.75 GHz. The high level of integration has been achieved in a small chip size of 1.22 mm×1.22 mm by utilizing active matching techniques. A wideband local oscillator (LO) amplifier, an active 180° splitter, a double-balanced mixer, an RF amplifier, an actively matched IF amplifier, and an RF blanking circuit are integrated on a GaAs chip. The up-converter exhibits an 8-dB conversion gain, a maximum input/output voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of less than 1.6, and a 40-dB RF blanking for an IF of 0.1 to 0.5 GHz and LO of 0.5-1.25 GHz. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated results     

宽中频CMOS下变频器单片

该文介绍了一种工作于毫米波频段的宽中频(IF)下变频器.该下变频器基于无源双平衡的设计架构,片上集成了射频(RF)和本振(LO)巴伦.为了优化无源下变频器的增益、带宽和隔离度性能,电路设计中引入了栅极感性化技术.测试结果表明,该下变频器的中频带宽覆盖0.5～12?GHz.在频率为30?GHz、幅度为4?dBm的LO信号...     

A 9–31-GHz Subharmonic Passive Mixer in 90-nm CMOS Technology

A subharmonic down-conversion passive mixer is designed and fabricated in a 90-nm CMOS technology. It utilizes a single active device and operates in the LO source-pumped mode, i.e., the LO signal is applied to the source and the RF signal to the gate. When driven by an LO signal whose frequency is only half of the fundamental mixer, the mixer exhibits a conversion loss as low as 8–11 dB over a wide RF frequency range of 9–31GHz. This performance is superior to the mixer operating in the gate-pumped mode where the mixer shows a conversion loss of 12–15dB over an RF frequency range of 6.5–20 GHz. Moreover, this mixer can also operate with an LO signal whose frequency is only 1/3 of the fundamental one, and achieves a conversion loss of 12–15dB within an RF frequency range of 12–33 GHz. The IF signal is always extracted from the drain via a low-pass filter which supports an IF frequency range from DC to 2 GHz. These results, for the first time, demonstrate the feasibility of implementation of high-frequency wideband subharmonic passive mixers in a low-cost CMOS technology.     

W-band broadband integrated circuit mixers

Broadband integrated circuit mixers using a crossbar stripline configuration and a finline configuration have been developed. For the crossbar stripline balanced mixer, less than 7.5 dB conversion loss for 15 GHz instantaneous IF bandwidth has been achieved with the LO at 75 GHz and the RF swept from 76 to 91 GHz. For the finline balanced mixer, a conversion loss of 9 to 12 dB over a 19 GHz instantaneous IF bandwidth has been achieved as the RF is swept from 91 to 110GHz.     

A 5.2-GHz GaInP/GaAs HBT double-quadrature downconverter with polyphase filters for 40-dB image rejection

A 5.2-GHz 11-dB gain, IP/sub 1 dB/=-17 dBm and IIP/sub 3/=-10 dBm double-quadrature Gilbert downconversion mixer with polyphase filters is demonstrated by using GaInP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology. The image rejection ratio is better than 40 dB when LO=5.17 GHz and intermediate frequency (IF) is in the range of 15 MHz to 40 MHz. The Gilbert downconverter has four-stage RC-CR IF polyphase filters for image rejection. Polyphase filters are also used to generate local (LO) and radio frequency (RF) quadrature signals around 5 GHz in the double-quadrature downconverter because GaAs has accurate thin film resistors and the low parasitic semi-insulating substrate.     

Design and Performance of W-Band Broad-Band Integrated Circuit Mixers

Broad-band integrated circuit mixers rising a crossbar suspended stripline configuration and a finline configuration were developed with GaAs beamlead diodes. For the crossbar suspended stripline balanced mixer, less than 7.5-dB conversion loss for 15-GHz instantaneous, IF bandwidth was achieved with the LO at 75 GHz and the RF swept from 76 to 91 GHz. With the LO at 90 GHz, a conversion loss of less than 7.8 dB was achieved over a 14-GHz instantaneous bandwidth as the RF is swept from 92 to 105 GHz. For the finline balanced mixer, a conversion loss of 8 to 12 dB over a 32-GHz instantaneous IF bandwidth was achieved as the RF is swept from 76 to 108 GHz. Integrated circuit building blocks, such as filters, broadside couplers, matching circuits, and varions transitions, were also developed.     

60-GHz monolithic down- and up-converters utilizing asource-injection concept

This paper deals with the design considerations, fabrication process, and performance of coplanar waveguide (CPW) heterojunction FET (HJFET) down- and up-converter monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC's) for V-band wireless system applications. To realize a mixer featuring a simple structure with inherently isolated ports, and yet permitting independent port matching and low local oscillator (LO) power operation, a “source-injection” concept is utilized by treating the HJFET as a three-port device in which the LO signal is injected through the source terminal, the RF (or IF) signal through the gate terminal, and the IF (or RF) signal is extracted from the drain terminal. The down-converter chip incorporates an image-rejection filter and a source-injection mixer. The up-converter chip incorporates a source-injection mixer and an output RF filter. With an LO power and frequency of 7 dBm and 60.4 GHz, both converters can operate at any IF frequency within 0.5-2 GHz, with a corresponding conversion gain within -7 to -12 dB, primarily dominated by the related filter's insertion loss. Chip size is 3.3 mm×2 mm for the down-converter, and 3.5 mm×1.8 mm for the up-converter     

一款集成驱动放大器的低变频损耗混频器设计

采用0.5μm GaAs工艺设计并制造了一款单片集成驱动放大器的低变频损耗混频器.电路主要包括混频部分、巴伦和驱动放大器3个模块.混频器的射频(RF)、本振(LO)频率为4～7 GHz,中频(IF)带宽为DC～2.5 GHz,芯片变频损耗小于7 dB,本振到射频隔离度大于35 dB,本振到中频隔离度大于27 dB.1 dB压缩点输入功率大于11 dBm,输入三阶交调点大于20 dBm.该混频器单片集成一款驱动放大器,解决了无源混频器要求大本振功率的问题,变频功能由串联二极管环实现,巴伦采用螺旋式结构,在实现超低变频损耗和良好隔离度的同时,保持了较小的芯片面积.整体芯片面积为1.1 mm×1.2 mm.     

一种宽带单平面共面波导／槽线平衡混频器

本文采用共面波导／槽线混合环研制了一种宽带单平面平衡混频器，并得到了较好的实验结果。混频器的最佳变频损耗小于5．5dB，信号端口和本振端口的隔离度在4．0～5．2GHz频带内约为20．0dB，信号端口电压驻波比在3．8～5．5GHz频带内小于2．0，中频输出端口的电压驻波比在中频低于550MHz时小于2．0。     

A 60-GHz uniplanar MMIC 4/spl times/ subharmonic mixer

A uniplanar GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit /spl times/4 subharmonic mixer (SHM) has been fabricated for 60-GHz-band applications using an antiparallel diode pair in finite ground coplanar (FGC) waveguide technology. This mixer is designed to operate at an RF of 58.5-60.5 GHz, an IF of 1.5-2.5 GHz, and an LO frequency of 14-14.5 GHz. FGC transmission-line structures used in the mixer implementation were fully characterized using full-wave electromagnetic simulations and on-wafer measurements. Of several mixer configurations tested, the best results show a maximum conversion loss of 13.2 dB over the specified frequency range with a minimum local-oscillator power of 3 dBm. The minimum upper sideband conversion loss is 11.3 dB at an RF of 58.5 GHz and an IF of 2.5 GHz. This represents excellent performance for a 4/spl times/ SHM operating at 60 GHz.     

Design and implementation of a 94 GHz CMOS down-conversion mixer with integrated miniature planar baluns for image radar sensors

A 94 GHz down-conversion mixer for image radar sensors using standard 90 nm CMOS technology is reported. The down-conversion mixer comprises a double-balanced Gilbert cell with peaking inductors between RF transconductance stage and LO switching transistors for conversion gain (CG) enhancement and noise figure suppression, a miniature planar balun for converting the single RF input signals to differential signals, another miniature planar balun for converting the single LO input signals to differential signals, and an IF amplifier. The mixer consumes 22.5 mW and achieves excellent RF-port input reflection coefficient of ?10 to ?35.9 dB for frequencies of 87.6–104.4 GHz, and LO-port input reflection coefficient of ?10 to ?31.9 dB for frequencies of 88.2–110 GHz. In addition, the mixer achieves CG of 4.9–7.9 dB for frequencies of 81.8–105.8 GHz (the corresponding 3-dB CG bandwidth is 24 GHz) and LO–RF isolation of 37.7–47.5 dB for frequencies of 80–110 GHz, one of the best CG and LO–RF isolation results ever reported for a down-conversion mixer with operation frequency around 94 GHz. Furthermore, the mixer achieves an excellent input third-order intercept point of ?3 dBm at 94 GHz. These results demonstrate the proposed down-conversion mixer architecture is promising for 94 GHz image radar sensors.     

Highly integrated 60 GHz transmitter and receiver MMICs in a GaAs pHEMT technology

Highly integrated transmitter and receiver MMICs have been designed in a commercial 0.15 /spl mu/m, 88 GHz f/sub T//183 GHz f/sub MAX/ GaAs pHEMT MMIC process and characterized on both chip and system level. These chips show the highest level of integration yet presented in the 60 GHz band and are true multipurpose front-end designs. The system operates with an LO signal in the range 7-8 GHz. This LO signal is multiplied in an integrated multiply-by-eight (X8) LO chain, resulting in an IF center frequency of 2.5 GHz. Although the chips are inherently multipurpose designs, they are especially suitable for high-speed wireless data transmission due to their very broadband IF characteristics. The single-chip transmitter MMIC consists of a balanced resistive mixer with an integrated ultra-wideband IF balun, a three-stage power amplifier, and the X8 LO chain. The X8 is a multifunction design by itself consisting of a quadrupler, a feedback amplifier, a doubler, and a buffer amplifier. The transmitter chip delivers 3.7/spl plusmn/1.5 dBm over the RF frequency range of 54-61 GHz with a peak output power of 5.2 dBm at 57 GHz. The single-chip receiver MMIC contains a three-stage low-noise amplifier, an image reject mixer with an integrated ultra-wideband IF hybrid and the same X8 as used in the transmitter chip. The receiver chip has 7.1/spl plusmn/1.5 dB gain between 55 and 63 GHz, more than 20 dB of image rejection ratio between 59.5 and 64.5 GHz, 10.5 dB of noise figure, and -11 dBm of input-referred third-order intercept point (IIP3).     

Design and measurement of a 53 GHz balanced Colpitts oscillator

A 53 GHz Colpitts oscillator implemented in a SiGe:C BiCMOS technology is presented. Limited by a 26.5 GHz frequency analyzer, the oscillator was measured indirectly through an on-chip mixer. The mixer down-converted the oscillating frequency to an intermediate frequency (IF) below 26.5 GHz. By adjusting the local os-cillating (LO) frequency and recording the changes of IF frequency, the oscillator's output frequency (RF) was determined. Additionally, using phase noise theory of mixers, the oscillator's phase noise was estimated as-58 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset and the output power was about-21 dBm. The chip is 270×480 μm in size.