A Low-Voltage 77-GHz Automotive Radar Chipset

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