15.1 mW 60 GHz up-conversion mixer with 4.5 dB gain and 57.5 dB LO-RF isolation

Abstract

A low-power and high conversion gain (CG) 60 GHz up-conversion mixer using standard 90 nm CMOS technology is demonstrated. The up-conversion mixer comprises a novel double-balanced Gilbert cell with negative resistance compensation for CG enhancement, a Marchand balun for converting the single LO input signal to a differential signal, and another Marchand balun for converting the differential RF output signal to a single signal. The up-conversion mixer consumes 15.1 mW and achieves IF-port input reflection coefficient (Γin) of −36.7 dB at 0.1 GHz, LO-port Γin of −13.1 dB at 59.9 GHz, and RF-port Γin of −28.8 dB at 60 GHz. At IF of 0.1 GHz and RF of 60 GHz, the up-conversion mixer achieves CG of 4.5 dB and LO-RF isolation of 57.5 dB, one of the best CG and isolation results ever reported for a 60 GHz CMOS up-conversion mixer.