A Single-Ended Fully Integrated SiGe 77/79 GHz Receiver for Automotive Radar

• Published in: IEEE journal of solid-state circuits 2008-09, Vol.43 (9), p.1897-1908
• Main Authors: Li Wang, Glisic, S., Borngraeber, J., Winkler, W., Scheytt, J.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 77/79 GHz; Amplifiers; Applied sciences; Automotive engineering; Automotive radar; Circuit properties; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; flip-chip; FMCW; Gain; Germanium silicon alloys; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Integrated circuits; LNA; micro mixer; Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; Microwave integrated circuits; MMIC; MMICs; Monolithic integrated circuits; Radar; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; SiGe; Silicon germanium; Transistors; VCO; Voltage-controlled oscillators
• ISSN: 0018-9200; 1558-173X
• DOI: 10.1109/JSSC.2008.2003994

A single-ended 77/79 GHz monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) receiver has been developed in SiGe HBT technology for frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) automotive radars. The single-ended receiver chip consists of the first reported SiGe 77/79 GHz single-ended cascode low noise amplifier (LNA), the improved single-ended RF double-balanced down-conversion 77/79 GHz micromixer, and the modified differential Colpitts 77/79 GHz voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The LNA presents 20/21.7 dB gain and mixer has 13.4/7 dB gain at 77/79 GHz, and the VCO oscillates from 79 to 82 GHz before it is tuned by cutting the transmission line ladder, and it centres around 77 GHz with a tuning range of 3.8 GHz for the whole ambient temperature variation range from -40degC to +125degC after we cut the lines by tungsten-carbide needles. Phase noise is -90 dBc/Hz@l MHz offset. Differential output power delivered by the VCO is 5 dBm, which is an optimum level to drive the mixer. The receiver occupies 0.5 mm 2 without pads and 1.26 mm 2 with pads, and consumes 595 mW. The measurement of the whole receiver at 79 GHz shows 20-26 dB gain in the linear region with stable IF output signal. The input P 1dB of the receiver is -35 dBm.