Bernhard Dehlink

Integrated Bandpass Filter at 77 GHz in SiGe Technology

The implementation and characterization of an integrated passive bandpass filter at 77GHz is presented. A lumped elements filter occupying very small die area (110times60mum2, without pads) is demonstrated. It is realized with spiral inductors and metal-insulator-metal capacitors. The filter is fabricated in an advanced SiGe:C technology. It has a center frequency of 77.3GHz and a bandwidth of 12GHz. The insertion loss is 6.4dB. This is the first time that integrated inductors are used for filters at millimeter wave frequencies around 80GHz

An 84 GHz Bandwidth and 20 dB Gain Broadband Amplifier in SiGe Bipolar Technology

This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and characterization of a lumped broadband amplifier in SiGe bipolar technology. The measured differential gain is 20 dB with a 3-dB bandwidth of more than 84 GHz, which is the highest bandwidth reported so far for broadband SiGe bipolar amplifiers. The resulting gain bandwidth product (GBW) is more than 840 GHz. The amplifier consumes a power of 990 mW at a supply of -5.5 V.

A highly linear SiGe double-balanced mixer for 77 GHz automotive radar applications

An active double-balanced mixer for automotive applications in the 77 GHz range is presented. The circuit includes on-chip baluns both at the RF and the LO port. The mixer was designed and fabricated in a 200 GHz fT SiGe:C bipolar technology. The chip was characterized by on-wafer measurements. At 77 GHz, the conversion gain of the mixer is 11.5 dB. The single sideband noise figure at 77 GHz is 15.8 dB. The input-referred 1 dB compression point at 75 GHz is -0.3 dBm. Measurements across the wafer verified that this mixer circuit is robust against wafer inhomogeneities. The size of the chip is 700mum times 900mum. The circuit was designed for a supply voltage of 5.5 V and draws 75 mA

A low-noise amplifier at 77 GHz in SiGe:C bipolar technology

A single ended low noise amplifler at 77GHz has been designed, implemented, and characterized. The focus was on a low noise flgure, reasonable input and out- put matching, and a high input compression point which are basic requirements for automotive radar applications or car{to{car communication systems. The LNA was fa- bricated in a 225GHz fT SiGe:C bipolar technology. At 77GHz, the measured gain of the LNA is 8.9dB, and the measured noise flgure at 77GHz is 4.8dB. The measured input compression point at 77GHz is -3dBm. The cir- cuit was designed for a supply voltage of 5.5V and draws 22mA.

An 80 GHz SiGe Quadrature Receiver Frontend

An in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) receiver frontend for communication and sensing (e.g. radar) applications in the frequency range between 75 and 86 GHz is presented. The frontend includes a low-noise amplifier (LNA), two down-conversion Gilbert mixers, a branchline coupler for the generation of the in-phase and quadrature LO signals, and LO buffers. The circuit was designed and fabricated in a 200 GHz fT SiGe:C bipolar technology. The chip performance was characterized by on-wafer measurements. From 75 GHz to 86 GHz, the frontend exhibits a single sideband noise figure of 11 dB, and a conversion gain that is higher than 28 dB. The input-referred compression point is -16 dBm. The chip occupies an area of 1000mum times 1100mum. The circuit works from a positive supply voltage of 5.5 V and draws 195 mA

SiGe Circuits for Automotive Radar

This paper presents circuits in SiGe bipolar technology for automotive radar applications at 77 GHz. They cover the transmit and receive path of typical radar sensors and include a voltage-controlled oscillator with integrated power amplifier and frequency divider, an active mixer and a low-noise amplifier

Design considerations for low-noise, highly-linear millimeter-wave mixers in SiGe bipolar technology

This paper presents design considerations for millimeter-wave mixers based on the Gilbert cell. The theory has been validated by a test chip fabricated in a 200 GHz fT SiGe:C bipolar technology. The chip has been designed for applications at 76 GHz. The measured single-sideband noise figure (NFSSB) is 11.2 dB while the conversion gain is 15 dB with an input-referred 1 dB compression point (ICP) and an input-referred third-order intercept point (IIP3) of +2.5 dBm and +8.5 dBm, respectively. The chip consumes 61 mA at a supply voltage of 5.5 V.

A New Regenerative Divider by Four up to 160 GHz in SiGe Bipolar Technology

A new topology for a very high speed regenerative divider by four is proposed. The circuit uses a double mixer to directly divide the input frequency by four. A validation chip has been developed in a 225 GHz fT SiGe bipolar technology. The circuit operates in a frequency range from 80 GHz to 160 GHz while consuming a 650 mW from a -5.5 V supply

SiGe Circuits for Spread Spectrum Automotive Radar

This paper presents circuits in SiGe bipolar technology for spread spectrum automotive radar applications in the band from 77 to 81 GHz. They cover the transmit and receive paths. The transmitter integrates a voltage controlled oscillator, a prescaler by 64, a 10 bit linear feedback shift register (LFSR), and a biphase modulator. The system has been optimized in order to achieve a range resolution less than 12 cm and an unambiguous range of 124 m. The quadrature receiver frontend consists of a single-ended low-noise amplifier (LNA), balanced-to-unbalanced converters, two fully differential direct-conversion mixers, LO buffer amplifiers, and a branchline coupler for I/Q generation. The presented systems show that millimeter-wave circuits in SiGe technology can achieve high integration levels along with high performance. They are well suited for application in spread spectrum automotive radar systems.