Coherent parametric RF downconversion in CMOS

Parametric circuits constitute a longstanding RF technique that has been largely ignored by the RFIC community. Increasing interest in applying CMOS to (sub)millimeter-wave applications plus mounting scaling complexity may combine to revitalize this circuit style. This paper presents basic parametric downconverter structures, their theory of operation, and the benefits to be gained from CMOS implementation. A low-power, sub-1-V, fully integrated mixer in 130-nm CMOS is introduced. It implements two parametric modes and operates on RF signals between 22 and 24 GHz with possible conversion gains in excess of 20 dB.