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

• Published in: IEEE journal of solid-state circuits Vol. 40; no. 11; pp. 2174 - 2186
• Main Authors: Gunnarsson, S.E., Karnfelt, C., Zirath, H., Kozhuharov, R., Kuylenstierna, D., Alping, A., Fager, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.11.2005; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: 60 GHz; Applied sciences; Balanced resistive mixer; Broadband amplifiers; Chips; Circuit properties; Data communication; Design; Design engineering; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency; GaAs; Gallium arsenide; Hardware; high data-rate wireless communication; highly integrated; image reject mixer; Input-output equipment; Intermediate frequency; Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; MMIC; MMICs; multi-functional; multiply-by-eight (X8) LO chain; Noise levels; pHEMT; PHEMTs; Power amplifiers; Radiofrequency amplifiers; receiver; Receivers; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Signal convertors; three-stage amplifier; Transistors; transmitter; Transmitters; Ultra wideband technology; V-band; Wireless communications; GHz range; Output power; Reaction amplifier; Low noise amplifier; Mixer; Microwave transmitter; Microwave; Data transmission; Balun; 60 GHz; Balanced resistive mixer; highly integrated; Millimetric wave; High electron mobility transistor; Wide band; User interface; Intermediate frequency; pHEMT; Microwave receiver; Peak power; MMIC; Multistage circuit; transmitter; Multifunctionality; V-band; multiply-by-eight (X8) LO chain; receiver; image reject mixer; three-stage amplifier; GaAs; Ultra wide band; high data-rate wireless communication; multi-functional; Pseudomorphic transistor; Transmission speed; Gain
• ISSN: 0018-9200; 1558-173X
• DOI: 10.1109/JSSC.2005.857366

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).