A Highly Integrated D-Band Multi-Channel Transceiver Chip for Radar Applications

This paper presents a low-power, highly-integrated D-Band transceiver chip realized in a 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The integration level includes three receiver (RX) channels, one transmitter (TX) channel, local oscillator (LO) signal generation and distribution network, frequency dividers and serial peripheral interface (SPI) for digital reconfigurability. The receiver achieves a peak gain of 14 dB at 118 GHz, while the transmitter achieves an output power of −6 dBm at 118 GHz. The VCO is realized in a push-push Colpitts topology. Additionally, its output is multiplied by two using a frequency doubler. Hence the transmitter output signal is continuously tunable in the frequency range 117 − 126 GHz, while achieving a measured phase noise of − 93.5 dBc /Hz at 1 MHz offset at 120 GHz. The entire transceiver draws 195 mA from a single 1.8 V supply. A single RX channel draws 19 mA, while a single TX consumes 25 mA. The circuit including pads occupies a chip area of only 3.5 mm × 2.75 mm, which is limited only by the separation necessary for isolation between the channels. The transceiver provides a competitive performance and is suitable for continuous-wave radar applications around 120 GHz.