A 50-100-GHz Highly Integrated Octave-Bandwidth Transmitter and Receiver Chipset in ${\hbox{0.35-}}\mu{\hbox {m}}$ SiGe Technology

This work presents a highly integrated transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) chipset operating from 50 to 100 GHz. The local oscillator (LO) is realized using a high output power millimeter-wave integrated frequency synthesizer with an octave output frequency range. The proposed low-complexity discrete tuned synthesizer architecture employs a single wide-tuning range voltage-controlled oscillator core and a single-sideband mixer, which can be switched to operate as a LO amplifier. An ultra broadband variable gain amplifier, with a gain control range > 25 dB, is used at the output of the synthesizer to provide a tunable output power. A maximum output power from +7 to +12 dBm and an output phase noise from -83 to -96 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset are measured over the complete output frequency range. Moreover, a spurious suppression > 22 dB is achieved over the entire synthesizer's tuning range. The RX shows a conversion gain > 19 dB and a noise figure from 50 to 100 GHz. The TX's measured saturated output power is from +6 to -1 dBm over the entire frequency range. The complete chipset is realized in a commercial low-cost SiGe:C technology with an ft/fmax of 170/250 GHz. Each of the TX and RX chips including the frequency synthesizers draw a current of 370 mA from a 3.3-V supply.