A 44-GHz SiGe BiCMOS Phase-Shifting Sub-Harmonic Up-Converter for Phased-Array Transmitters

A compact 44-GHz phase-shifting direct up-conversion transmitter for phased-array transmitters, based on a doubled local oscillator (LO) phase-shifting approach, is fabricated in a 0.18-¿m silicon germanium BiCMOS process. The upconverter includes a frequency doubler, an LO phase shifter, double balanced mixers, and an output driver. The upconverter has a conversion gain of 18 dB and continuous 360° phase shift with a baseband in-phase/quadrature bandwidth of 1 GHz. Its maximum RF output power is -1.7 dBm in a 50-¿ load with a total current consumption of 180 mA from a 4.4-V power supply. The active area is 940 × 700 ¿m
²
.