Low-Cost Integrated Microwave Radiometer Front-End for Industrial Applications

The present paper experimentally investigates the potentialities of low-cost technologies (0.35-¿ m SiGe BiCMOS technology for the electronics and microstrip technology for the antenna) for the fabrication of a radiometer front-end working in the
X
-band. The design and the characterization of the electronics receiver and of the antenna are described. In particular, after analog continuous-wave characterizations of electronics and antenna, a benchmark experiment is reported, where electronics and antenna are tested together under conditions close to that of a radiometer test, in order to evaluate the capabilities of the obtained front-end prototype in a complete radiometer.