A Low-Voltage Broadband Feedforward-Linearized BJT Mixer

A low-voltage, feedforward-linearized bipolar mixer realizes an input
$hboxIP_3$
of
$+$
14.3 dBm and an input
$hboxIP_2$
of
$+$
54.5 dBm at 2.4 GHz. Conversion (power) gain over the 1–6GHz RF input range is 12.4
$,pm,$
0.35 dB, while the input
$hboxIP_3$
is 13.6
$,pm,$
1.8dBm over the same frequency range. The broadband mixer's RF input impedance varies from 60.3-j7.1 at 2.4 GHz to 57.4-j16.6
$~Omega$
at 5.8GHz. Measured SSB (50
$Omega$
) noise figure is 18.6 dB at 2.4 GHz. No on-chip inductors are used in the design, and the 0.14
$hbox mm^2$
(active area) mixer dissipates 7.2 mW from a (minimum) 1.2 V supply.