A Wideband 341-386 GHz Transmitter in SiGe BiCMOS Technology

A transmitter with an output frequency range from 341 to 386 GHz is presented. Power output varies from 0.1 to -15.8 dBm along its operating range, while it remains above -2.9 dBm from 341 to 353 GHz. The high-frequency signal is generated using a wideband push-push voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) with coarse and fine frequency tuning control, a 3-stage power amplifier, and a frequency doubler. Additionally, a frequency divider is integrated to provide a second low- frequency output for measurement purposes and to enable later the addition of a phase-locked loop (PLL) for the stabilization of the VCO. The obtained frequency tuning range of 12.4% is a record value for silicon-based transmitters above 300 GHz. The total power consumption is 790 mW. The chip is fabricated in a 130nm SiGe BiCMOS technology with fT/fmax = 250/370 GHz.