A 1-6 GHz monolithic up-conversion mixer with input/output active baluns using SiGe HBT process

In this paper, a 1-6 GHz MMIC up-conversion mixer, for an RF transmitter, is designed and fabricated using 0.8 μm SiGe HBT process technology. This mixer is implemented on-chip using LO/RF wideband matching circuits, LO/IF input balun circuits, and an RF output balun circuit. The measured results of the fabricated mixer show positive power conversion gain from 1 GHz to 6 GHz, bandwidth of 4.5 GHz, LO isolation (LO to IF isolation and LO to RF isolation) between 27 dB and 45 dB, OIP3 between -2 dBm and -12 dBm, current consumption of 29 mA for 3.0 V supply voltage. The chip size of the fabricated mixer is 2.7 mm×1.6 mm.