A 0.39–0.44 THz 2x4 Amplifier-Quadrupler Array With Peak EIRP of 3–4 dBm

Abstract

This paper presents a CMOS amplifier-multiplier-antenna array capable of generating an EIRP of 3-4 dBm at 420 GHz. The chip is built using a 45-nm CMOS SOI process, and efficient on-chip antennas are used to extract the power out of the chip. The design is based on a 90-110 GHz distribution network with splitters and amplifiers, and a balanced quadrupler capable of delivering up > 100 μW of power at 370-430 GHz. The amplifier-multiplier concept is proven on a 2×4 array, and it can be also scaled to any N×M array using additional W-band splitters and amplifiers.