A 0.32 THz SiGe 4x4 Imaging Array Using High-Efficiency On-Chip Antennas

Author

Uzunkol, Mehmet ; Gurbuz, Ozan Dogan ; Golcuk, Faith ; Rebeiz, Gabriel M.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Univ. of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

Volume

48

Issue

9

fYear

2013

fDate

Sept. 2013

Firstpage

2056

Lastpage

2066

Abstract

This paper presents a 0.32 THz 4x4 imaging array based on an advanced SiGe technology. Each pixel is composed of a high efficiency on-chip antenna meeting all metal-density rules, which is coupled to a SiGe detector and a low noise CMOS operational amplifier. A quartz superstrate is used on top of the imaging chip to improve the radiation efficiency. The array results in an average NEP of 34 pW/Hz ^1/2 at an IF of 10-100 kHz for a detector bias current of 50-150 μA, a responsivity of 18 kV/W and a 3-dB bandwidth of 25 GHz. The power consumption is 2.4 mW/pixel. Extensive measurements are presented which show the challenges encountered in obtaining accurate measurements at THz frequencies using a quasi-optical set-up, and the decisions taken to quote the average NEP values.

Keywords

CMOS image sensors; Ge-Si alloys; antennas; low noise amplifiers; operational amplifiers; submillimetre wave circuits; submillimetre wave imaging; SiGe; current 50 muA to 150 muA; frequency 0.32 THz; frequency 10 kHz to 100 kHz; frequency 25 GHz; imaging array; low noise CMOS operational amplifier; metal-density rules; on-chip antennas; quartz superstrate; Antennas; Arrays; Detectors; Imaging; Noise; Silicon germanium; System-on-chip; Direct detector; NEP; SiGe; imaging array; millimeter-wave imaging; responsivity; terahertz;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9200

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JSSC.2013.2262739

Filename

6578195