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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 ,
Tom K. Johansen ,
Kjeld M. Tamborg  and
Vitaliy Zhurbenko
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]
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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
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 6 , Issue 3-4: European Microwave Week 2013 , June 2014 , pp. 235 - 242
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2014 

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References

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