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A 50-GHz Silicon-on-Sapphire CMOS Receiver Front-End

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📜 Abstract

This paper presents a new CMOS receiver front-end integrated circuit intended for 50 GHz operation. Fabricated in a 0.15 μm silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) CMOS process, the receiver front-end includes a low-noise amplifier, a mixer, a local oscillator frequency multiplier, and an output buffer. The circuit achieves a 20 dB gain with a 6.5 dB noise figure and a 50 GHz intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth. The design highlights the potential of the SOS CMOS technology for high-frequency applications and its competitiveness with alternative technologies.

✨ Summary

This paper describes the development and performance of a 50-GHz CMOS receiver front-end implemented using silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) technology. The paper’s main accomplishment is demonstrating the feasibility of using SOS CMOS for high-frequency applications, specifically targeting a 50 GHz frequency band. The authors detail the design of the low-noise amplifier, mixer, frequency multiplier along with the achievements in gain, noise figure, and integration at the mentioned frequency. Published in 1997, this research contributed to advancing CMOS technology for high-frequency applications, showcasing that SOS can be a competitive alternative to other technologies traditionally used in microwave frequency ranges.

The impact of this research can be observed in the subsequent exploration and adaptation of silicon-on-sapphire technology in radio frequency design, notably in the fields of wireless communications and integrated circuits. The approach demonstrated within this study influenced the development of sophisticated receiver designs that leverage the advantages of SOS in terms of reduced parasitics and improved performance at GHz frequencies.

Further references and impacts include: - Interest in high-frequency integrated circuits utilizing silicon-on-sapphire as highlighted in technical discussions and academic explorations published in journals focusing on microwave integrated circuits and silicon-based technologies. Such expansions have been documented in works like “Silicon RF Technology Development” (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1074641) where SOS technology’s relevance in RF design is discussed. - Inclusion in studies evaluating and comparing semiconductor technologies for GHz applications, enhancing understanding in the efficient design of wireless communication systems.