An integrated 132-147GHz power source with +27dBm EIRP

We present a 132-147GHz power source based on four power amplifiers whose outputs are combined into a compact (0.52x0.48mm
²
footprint) dielectric resonator antenna mounted on the chip face. The source, prototyped in 0.13µm SiGe BiCMOS, demonstrates an EIRP of 27dBm with a power-added efficiency of 13.8 %. Individual PAs deliver a peak Psat of 15dBm over a 3-dB bandwidth of 116-152GHz. Excited by shorted patches on chip, the maximum efficiency of the hybrid antenna is 80% over a 16% relative bandwidth. The EIRP and transmitted RF power are the highest reported for D-band silicon-based transmitters.