A fully differential 100 – 140 GHz frequency quadrupler in a 130 nm SiGe:C technology for MIMO radar applications using the bootstrapped Gilbert-Cell doubler topology

Abstract

This paper presents a frequency quadrupler implemented in a 130nm SiGe:C technology suitable for radar systems with spatially distributed transmitters and receivers. The circuit is based on cascading the bootstrapped Gilbert-Cell doubler topology with differential inputs and differential outputs presented in [1]. In conjunction with a balancing input preamplifier and output buffer amplifier, a maximum power conversion gain of 26 dB and an output power of 0 - 4dBm over 40 GHz (28 %) bandwidth in the range of 120 - 160 GHz is achieved. The frequency quadrupler operates at a power consumption of 132mW with a 1 dB input gain compression point of -22 dBm. The differential output amplitude imbalance in the desired frequency range of 100 - 140 GHz is well below ±1 dB and the preamplifier input match is better than -10 dB between 25 - 35 GHz.