An ultra-broadband distributed passive gate-pumped mixer in 0.18 <i>μ</i>m CMOS

Zhenxing Yu; Jun Feng

doi:10.1088/1674-4926/34/8/085005

J. Semicond. > 2013, Volume 34 > Issue 8 > 085005

SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

An ultra-broadband distributed passive gate-pumped mixer in 0.18 μm CMOS

Zhenxing Yu and Jun Feng

+ Author Affiliations

Corresponding author: Feng Jun, Email:fengjun_seu@seu.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/34/8/085005

Abstract: A broadband distributed passive gate-pumped mixer (DPGM) using standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology is presented. By employing distributed topology, the mixer can operate at a wide frequency range. In addition, a fourth-order low pass filter is applied to improve the port-to-port isolation. This paper also analyzes the impedance match and conversion loss of the mixer, which consumes zero dc power and exhibits a measured conversion loss of 9.4-17 dB from 3 to 40 GHz with a compact size of 0.78 mm². The input referred 1 dB compression point is higher than 4 dBm at a fixed IF frequency of 500 MHz and RF frequency of 23 GHz, and the measured RF-to-LO, RF-to-IF and LO-to-IF isolations are better than 21, 38 and 45 dB, respectively. The mixer is suitable for WLAN, UWB, Wi-Max, automotive radar systems and other millimeter-wave radio applications.

Key words: distributed mixer, gate-pumped passive mixer, millimeter-wave, low power

References

[1]	Wenger J. Auto-motive radar:status and perspectives. Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symposium, 2005:21 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1531741/?reload=true&arnumber=1531741
[2]	Federal Communication Commission. $§$15. 252
[3]	Tsai J H. Design of 40-108-GHz low-power and high-speed CMOS up/down-conversion ring mixers for multi-standard MMW radio applications. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2012, 60(3):670 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2011.2178258
[4]	Tai J H. Design of 1.2-V broadband high data-rate MMW CMOS I/Q modulator and demodulator using modified Gilbert-cell mixer. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2011, 59(5):1350 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2011.2116035
[5]	Bao M Q, Jacobsson H, Aspemyr L, et al. A 9-31GHz sub-harmonic passive mixer in 90 nm CMOS technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2006, 41(10):2257 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2006.881551
[6]	Lin S K, Kuo J L, Wang H. A 60 GHz sub-harmonic resistive FET mixer using 0.13μm CMOS technology. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2011, 21(10):562 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2011.2165701
[7]	Tsai J H, Huang T W. 35-65 GHz CMOS broadband modulator and demodulator with sub-harmonic pumping for MMW wireless gigabit applications. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2007, 55(10):2075 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2007.905497
[8]	Yang H Y, Tsai J H, Wang C H, et al. Design and analysis of a 0.8-77.5 GHz ultra-broadband distributed drain mixer using 0.13μm CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2009, 57(3):562 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2009.2013299
[9]	Lin C H, Lin C M, Lai Y A, et al. A 26-38 GHz monolithic doubly balanced mixer. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2008, 18(9):623 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2008.2002465
[10]	Lai Y A, Lin C M, Lin C H, et al. A new Ka-band doubly balanced mixer based on Lange coupler. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2008, 18(7):458 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2008.925110
[11]	Ellinger F, Rodoni L C, Sialm G, et al. 30-40 GHz drain pumped passive down mixer MMIC fabricated on VLSI SOI CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2004, 52(5):1382 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2004.827004
[12]	Yang H Y, Tsai J H, Huang T W, et al. Analysis of a new 33-58-GHz doubly balanced drain mixer in 90-nm CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2012, 60(4):1057 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2012.2183609
[13]	Chen J H, Kuo C C, Hsin Y M, et al. A 15-50 GHz broadband resistive FET ring mixer using 0.18-μm CMOS technology. IEEE Microwave Symposium Digest, 2010:784

Fig. 1. The single-stage GPM.

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Fig. 2. Schematic of the DPGM.

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Fig. 3. The input impedance of the distributed mixer at the LO port. $l$ is the total length of the gate line.

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Fig. 4. Simulation results of LO return loss versus frequency.

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Fig. 5. The simulation results of conversion gain versus $V_{\rm GS}$.

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Fig. 6. The simulation results of conversion gain versus LO input power.

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Fig. 7. The simulation results of the conversion gain versus RF frequency with different $N$.

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Fig. 8. The unit cell of the drain transmission line.

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Fig. 9. Chip photograph of the DPGM.

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Fig. 10. Measurement results of RF return loss.

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Fig. 11. Simulation and measurement results of LO return loss.

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Fig. 12. Simulation and measurement results of IF return loss.

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Fig. 13. Measurement results of conversion gain versus IF frequency.

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Fig. 14. Measurement results of IF output power versus RF input power at 23 GHz.

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Fig. 15. Measurement results of the LO-to-IF and RF-to-IF isolations.

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Fig. 16. Measurement results of the LO-to-RF isolations.

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Table 1. The recently reported wideband mixers.

[1]	Wenger J. Auto-motive radar:status and perspectives. Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symposium, 2005:21 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1531741/?reload=true&arnumber=1531741
[2]	Federal Communication Commission. $§$15. 252
[3]	Tsai J H. Design of 40-108-GHz low-power and high-speed CMOS up/down-conversion ring mixers for multi-standard MMW radio applications. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2012, 60(3):670 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2011.2178258
[4]	Tai J H. Design of 1.2-V broadband high data-rate MMW CMOS I/Q modulator and demodulator using modified Gilbert-cell mixer. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2011, 59(5):1350 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2011.2116035
[5]	Bao M Q, Jacobsson H, Aspemyr L, et al. A 9-31GHz sub-harmonic passive mixer in 90 nm CMOS technology. IEEE J Solid-State Circuits, 2006, 41(10):2257 doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2006.881551
[6]	Lin S K, Kuo J L, Wang H. A 60 GHz sub-harmonic resistive FET mixer using 0.13μm CMOS technology. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2011, 21(10):562 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2011.2165701
[7]	Tsai J H, Huang T W. 35-65 GHz CMOS broadband modulator and demodulator with sub-harmonic pumping for MMW wireless gigabit applications. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2007, 55(10):2075 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2007.905497
[8]	Yang H Y, Tsai J H, Wang C H, et al. Design and analysis of a 0.8-77.5 GHz ultra-broadband distributed drain mixer using 0.13μm CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2009, 57(3):562 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2009.2013299
[9]	Lin C H, Lin C M, Lai Y A, et al. A 26-38 GHz monolithic doubly balanced mixer. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2008, 18(9):623 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2008.2002465
[10]	Lai Y A, Lin C M, Lin C H, et al. A new Ka-band doubly balanced mixer based on Lange coupler. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2008, 18(7):458 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2008.925110
[11]	Ellinger F, Rodoni L C, Sialm G, et al. 30-40 GHz drain pumped passive down mixer MMIC fabricated on VLSI SOI CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2004, 52(5):1382 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2004.827004
[12]	Yang H Y, Tsai J H, Huang T W, et al. Analysis of a new 33-58-GHz doubly balanced drain mixer in 90-nm CMOS technology. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 2012, 60(4):1057 doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2012.2183609
[13]	Chen J H, Kuo C C, Hsin Y M, et al. A 15-50 GHz broadband resistive FET ring mixer using 0.18-μm CMOS technology. IEEE Microwave Symposium Digest, 2010:784

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Received: 06 January 2013 Revised: 04 February 2013 Online: Published: 01 August 2013

A broadband distributed passive gate-pumped mixer (DPGM) using standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology is presented. By employing distributed topology, the mixer can operate at a wide frequency range. In addition, a fourth-order low pass filter is applied to improve the port-to-port isolation. This paper also analyzes the impedance match and conversion loss of the mixer, which consumes zero dc power and exhibits a measured conversion loss of 9.4-17 dB from 3 to 40 GHz with a compact size of 0.78 mm². The input referred 1 dB compression point is higher than 4 dBm at a fixed IF frequency of 500 MHz and RF frequency of 23 GHz, and the measured RF-to-LO, RF-to-IF and LO-to-IF isolations are better than 21, 38 and 45 dB, respectively. The mixer is suitable for WLAN, UWB, Wi-Max, automotive radar systems and other millimeter-wave radio applications.

An ultra-broadband distributed passive gate-pumped mixer in 0.18 μm CMOS

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