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Design of a broadband passive X-band double-balanced mixer in SiGe HBT technology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 March 2014

Rasmus S. Michaelsen*
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. Phone: +45 45 25 38 61 Weibel Scientific A/S, 3450 Allerød, Denmark
Tom K. Johansen
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. Phone: +45 45 25 38 61
Kjeld M. Tamborg
Affiliation:
Weibel Scientific A/S, 3450 Allerød, Denmark
Vitaliy Zhurbenko
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. Phone: +45 45 25 38 61
*
Corresponding author R. S. Michaelsen Email: [email protected]

Abstract

In this paper, a passive double-balanced mixer in SiGe HBT technology is presented. Owing to lack of suitable passive mixing elements in the technology, the mixing elements are formed by diode-connected HBTs. The mixer uses lumped element Marchand baluns on both the local oscillator (LO) and the radio frequency (RF) port. A break out of the Marchand balun is measured. This demonstrates good phase and magnitude match of 0.7° and 0.11 dB, respectively. The Marchand baluns are broadband with a measured 3 dB bandwidth of 6.4 GHz, while still having a magnitude imbalance better than 0.4 dB and a phase imbalance better than 5°. Unfortunately with a rather high loss of 2.5 dB, mainly due to the low Q-factor of the inductors used. The mixer is optimized for use in doppler radars and is highly linear with a 1 dB compression point above 12 dBm IIP2 of 66 dBm. The conversion gain at the center frequency of 8.5 GHz is −9.8 dB at an LO drive level of 15 dBm. The whole mixer is very broadband with 3 dB bandwidth from 7 to 12 GHz covering the entire X-band. The LO–IF, RF–IF, and RF–LO isolation is better than 46, 36, and 36 dB, respectively, in the entire band of operation.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2014 

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References

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