Highly dense microwave and millimeter-wave phased array T/R modules using CMOS and SiGe RFICs

Abstract

We have used silicon technologies to build highly dense phased array for X to W-band applications. Typical designs include an 8-element 8–16 GHz SiGe phased array receiver, a 16-element 30–50 GHz SiGe transmit phased array, a miniature (< 3mm2) and low power (<100 mW) CMOS phased array receiver at 24 GHz, and a 4-element SiGe/CMOS Tx/Rx phased array at 34–38 GHz with 5-bit amplitude and phase control, a 2-antenna 4-simultaneous beam phased array chip at 15 GHz. Also, a miniature 8×8 Butler Matrix with < 3 dB loss in 0.13 um CMOS has been developed for multibeam applications. It is shown that silicon chips can be used to lower the cost of phased arrays with a significant impact at Ku, K and W-band applications where there is so little available space behind each antenna element due to the very small element area.