28 September 2022 Wideband SiGe down-converter for millimeter-wave radio astronomy applications
Alireza Seyfollahi, Nianhua Jiang, Lewis B. G. Knee, Jens Bornemann
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

A Q-band down-converter module with high conversion gain (CG) is presented for a wideband radio astronomy receiver. This down-converter module is designed on a silicon-germanium (SiGe) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) process (0.13 μm) to realize high CG, low LO power operation, and wideband frequency impedance matching for RF/LO/IF ports. The down-converter consists of a double-balanced Gilbert mixing core with on-chip RF/LO transformer baluns, an IF buffer, and bandpass filter. The performance of the down converter is largely dependent on the passive components and signal line interconnection. The design of all passive structures is analyzed and optimized with FEM simulations for a high-quality factor to minimize losses and parasitic effects. This module achieves 8 dB of CG at a low LO power of −6 dBm over a wide RF bandwidth from 28 to 56 GHz and IF bandwidth from 6 to 18 GHz. It demonstrates LO-to-IF/LO-to-RF/RF-to-IF isolations > dB / 40 dB/35 dB, respectively. The critical FEM simulation is described in the design of this high-density SiGe HBT RF circuit. The measured performance confirms the simulation results. The module meets the original design requirements of the DVA-2 Q-band receiver.

© 2022 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)
Alireza Seyfollahi, Nianhua Jiang, Lewis B. G. Knee, and Jens Bornemann "Wideband SiGe down-converter for millimeter-wave radio astronomy applications," Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems 8(3), 036004 (28 September 2022). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JATIS.8.3.036004
Received: 4 May 2022; Accepted: 9 September 2022; Published: 28 September 2022
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KEYWORDS
Receivers

Radio astronomy

Metals

Amplifiers

Transformers

Interference (communication)

Transistors

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