A low-power SiGe D-band total power radiometer with NEPmin of 1.4 fW/Hz½ and NETD of 0.25K

This paper presents a low-noise SiGe radiometer at 136 GHz developed in an IBM 90 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The radiometer chip consumes 45 mW and results in a minimum NEP of 1.4 fW/Hz^½ with a peak responsivity of 52 MV/W at 136 GHz and a noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of 0.25K (τ = 3.125 mS). To the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest temperature resolution in silicon technologies at D-band.