A 36–80 GHz High Gain Millimeter-Wave Double-Balanced Active Frequency Doubler in SiGe BiCMOS

Abstract

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> This letter presents a high conversion gain double-balanced active frequency doubler operating from 36 to 80 GHz. The circuit was fabricated in a 200 GHz <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">${\rm f}_{\rm T}$</tex></formula> and <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">${\rm f}_{\max}$</tex></formula> 0.18 <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\mu$</tex></formula>m SiGe BiCMOS process. The frequency doubler achieves a peak conversion gain of 10.2 dB at 66 GHz. The maximum output power is 1.7 dBm at 66 GHz and <formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">${-}3.9$</tex></formula> dBm at 80 GHz. The maximum fundamental suppression of 36 dB is observed at 60 GHz and is better than 20 dB from 36 to 80 GHz. The frequency doubler draws 41.6 mA from a nominal 3.3 V supply. The chip area of the active frequency doubler is 640 <formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">$\mu$</tex></formula>m <formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">$\,\times\,$</tex></formula>424 <formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">$\mu$</tex></formula>m (0.272 mm<formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">$^{2}$</tex></formula>) including the pads. To the best of authors' knowledge, this active frequency doubler has demonstrated the highest operating frequency with highest conversion gain and output power among all other silicon-based active frequency doublers reported to date. </para>