K. Aufinger

SiGe bipolar technology for automotive radar applications

A SiGe bipolar technology for automotive radar applications around 77 GHz has been developed. A cut-off frequency of 200 GHz, a maximum oscillation frequency of 275 GHz, and a gate delay of 3.5 ps have been obtained. First key building blocks for 77 GHz systems like VCOs and mixers have been realized with this technology.

Simultaneous Integration of SiGe High Speed Transistors and High Voltage Transistors

Integration of high voltage transistors and varactors with high tuning range into high frequency SiGe bipolar technologies is challenging due to the requirement of a shallow collector for the high speed transistor. This paper presents a high speed SiGe bipolar technology using a novel concept with two epitaxial layers for the simultaneous integration of high speed transistors, high voltage transistors, and varactors. Using this concept high speed transistors with 209 GHz cut-off frequency and 3.3 ps gate delay have been combined with high voltage transistors providing an emitter-collector breakdown voltage of 5 V. Additionally in this concept a varactor has been developed and optimized to achieve a high tuning range of 13 GHz and low phase noise for a 77 GHz VCO

A 50 GHz implanted base silicon bipolar technology with 35 GHz static frequency divider

A 0.5 /spl mu/m silicon bipolar technology for mixed digital/analogue RF applications is presented. Very steep base profiles are realized by ion implantation and subsequent base diffusion. Cut-off frequencies and maximum oscillation frequencies of 50 GHz and ECL gate delay of 16 ps are obtained without increasing the process complexity in comparison to a 0.8 /spl mu/m production technology. A static 2:1 frequency divider operates up to 35 GHz, the highest value reported for any silicon based technology.

Low-Frequency Noise Characteristics of Advanced Si and SiGe Bipolar Transistors

also with Institut fur Materialphysik, Universitat Wien, andLudwig-Boltzmann-Institut fur Festkorperphysik,Wien, AustriaAbstractA comprehensive low- frequency noise characterization of advancedSi and SiGe bipolar transistors is presented. The Si transistors werefound to show higher low-frequency noise than the SiGe devices. Thisis proofed to be a consequence of the oxide grown at the poly-monosilicon interface in the case of the Si devices for the adjustmentof the current gain. The incorporation of Ge in the SiGe HBTs wasfound not to degrade the low-frequency noise performance in com-parison to the Si BTs.

71.8 GHz static frequency divider in a SiGe bipolar technology

A 2:1 static frequency divider fabricated in a 0.35 /spl mu/m SiGe bipolar technology is described. It operates up to 71.8 GHz and draws 132 mA from a single 4.5 V supply. Continuous operation up to the maximum operating frequency of 71.8 GHz has been demonstrated. This operating frequency is the highest achieved for this type of circuit in Si-based technologies and comparable with the fastest static dividers realized in III-V technologies.

Noise characteristics of transistors fabricated in an advanced silicon bipolar technology

The RF noise of transistors fabricated in an advanced silicon bipolar technology is investigated. The influence of the lateral scaling on the noise figure is studied experimentally and compared with the predictions of conventional noise modeling. Reasonable agreement is found without any fitting of model parameters to the measured noise characteristics. The potential of the investigated technology for low-noise applications is demonstrated by noise figures below 1 dB for frequencies up to 2 GHz and below 2 dB up to 7 GHz.

2 GHz/2 mW and 12 GHz/30 mW dual-modulus prescalers in silicon bipolar technology

Two dual-modulus prescalers manufactured in a low-cost Si bipolar technology are presented. The first circuit is optimized for low power consumption and operates up to 2 GHz at a power consumption of 2 mW. The second prescaler is optimized for high speed and operates up to 12 GHz with a power consumption of 30 mW. The prescalers have selectable divide ratios of 128/129 and 256/257, respectively.

A 19GHz DRO downconverter MMIC for 77GHz automotive radar frontends in a SiGe bipolar production technology

A dielectric resonator oscillator (DRO) based 19 GHz downconverter is presented, which has been integrated in a 200 GHz fT SiGe production technology. The circuits, a negative resistance block and a mixer, have been designed differentially. The DRO is optimized for low phase noise and operates at typically 18 GHz. The mixer converts the by-4-devided signal of a 77 GHz fundamental oscillator to around 1 GHz. Mixer conversion gain is on the order of ntilde 16 dB and the input referred 1 dB compression point is about 0 dBm. Phase Noise of the DRO is ntilde115 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 100 kHz. The power dissipation of the complete MMIC is 94 mW, operating off a supply voltage of +5.5 V.

30 GHz monolithic voltage-controlled oscillator with dual-modulus prescaler in SiGe bipolar technology

This paper presents an integrated circuit suitable for frequency synthesis. The circuit consists of a monolithic voltage-controlled oscillator operating up to 30.5 GHz with static divide-by-256/divide-by-257 dual-modulus prescaler and consumes 500 mW from the 5.3 V supply. It is manufactured in a pre-production 0.4 /spl mu/m/85 GHz SiGe bipolar technology.

Low power silicon RF ICs

We present low-power integrated circuits for RF and microwave applications manufactured in low-cost silicon bipolar technology. These circuits are a dual-modulus prescaler with a maximum operating frequency of more than 6 GHz and a power consumption of only 7.4 mW and a static frequency divider with a divide ratio of eight which operates up to 18 GHz with a power consumption of 40 mW.