A low-voltage 77-GHz automotive radar chipset

This paper presents the first complete 2.5V, 77GHz chipset for Doppler radar and imaging applications fabricated in 0.13 mu m SiGe HBT technology. The chipset includes a voltage-controlled oscillator with -101.6dBc/Hz phase noise at 1MMz offset, an 25dB gain low-noise amplifier, a novel low-voltage double-balanced Gilbert-cell mixer with two mm-wave baluns and IF amplifier achieving 12.8dB noise figure and an OP1dB of +5dBm, a 99GHz static frequency divider consuming a record low 75mW, and a power amplifier with 19dB gain, +14.4dBm saturated power, and 15.7% PAE. Monolithic spiral inductors and transformers result in the lowest reported 77GHz receiver core area of only 0.45mm x 0.30mm. Simplified circuit topologies allow 77GRz operation up to 125 degrees C from 2.5V/1.8V supplies. Technology splits of the SiGe HBTs are employed to determine the optimum HBT profile for mm-wave performance.