A Low-Voltage SiGe BiCMOS 77-GHz Automotive Radar Chipset

• Published in: IEEE transactions on microwave theory and techniques Vol. 56; no. 5; pp. 1092 - 1104
• Main Authors: Nicolson, S.T., Yau, K.H.K., Pruvost, S., Danelon, V., Chevalier, P., Garcia, P., Chantre, A., Sautreuil, B., Voinigescu, S.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.05.2008; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Automotive engineering; Automotive radar; BiCMOS integrated circuits; Chips (electronics); Circuit properties; Circuits; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Dividers; Doppler radar; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency conversion; Frequency dividers; Gain; Germanium silicon alloys; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Integrated circuit measurements; Integrated circuits; low-noise amplifiers (LNAs); Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; millimeter-wave imaging; millimeter-wave receivers and transmitters; Noise; Oscillators, resonators, synthetizers; Power amplifiers; power amplifiers (PAs); Radar imaging; Radiolocalization and radionavigation; Receivers; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Silicon germanides; Silicon germanium; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Phase noise; Noise figure; Road vehicle radar; frequency dividers; Worst case method; low-noise amplifiers (LNAs); Inductor; Overvoltage; Automotive radar; BiCMOS technology; Low voltage; Frequency converter; power amplifiers (PAs); Microwave antenna; Radar imaging; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Monolithic integrated circuit; Semiconductor alloys; Voltage controlled oscillator; Power electronics; Radar applications; Local oscillator; millimeter-wave imaging; Integrated circuit; Microwave oscillator; Millimeter wave receivers; millimeter-wave receivers and transmitters; Doppler radar; Sideband; Gain; Room temperature
• ISSN: 0018-9480; 1557-9670
• DOI: 10.1109/TMTT.2008.921268

This paper presents a complete 2.5-V 77-GHz chipset for Doppler radar and imaging applications fabricated in SiGe HBT and SiGe BiCMOS technologies. The chipset includes a 123-mW single-chip receiver with 24-dB gain and an IP 1 dB of -21.7 dBm at 76-GHz local oscillator (LO) and 77-GHz RF, 4.8-dB double-sideband noise figure at 76-GHz LO and 1-GHz IF, and worst case -98.5 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1-MHz offset over the entire voltage-controlled oscillator tuning range at room temperature. Monolithic spiral inductors and transformers result in a receiver core area of 450 mum times 280 mum. For integration of an entire 77-GHz transceiver, a power amplifier with 19-dB gain, +14.5-dBm saturated output power, and 15.7% power-added efficiency is demonstrated. Frequency divider topologies for 2.5-V operation are investigated and measurement results show a 105-GHz static frequency divider consuming 75 mW, and a 107-GHz Miller divider consuming 33 mW. Measurements on all circuits confirm operation up to 100 deg C. Low-power low-noise design techniques for each circuit block are discussed.