Options
2014
Journal Article
Titel
A W-band monolithic integrated active hot and cold noise source
Abstract
For application in radiometry or noise measurement systems, an integrated active hot-cold load (AHCL) operating in the W-band (75-110 GHz) is presented and realized as monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC). It makes use of a novel circuit topology that employs only a single active noise source and monolithic integrated switches to provide a cold and a hot noise reference temperature. The AHCL provides a measured cold temperature of only 230 K and a hot temperature of 860 K around 94 GHz, thus enabling two-point radiometric calibration and absolute power measurements. The noise source of the AHCL has been fabricated as a two-port test structure too. In that configuration, it has been measured as a low-noise amplifier with a noise figure of 2.5 dB at 94 GHz proving its good noise performance. As a stand-alone active cold load (ACL), an excellent noise power of only 190K at 93 GHz is achieved. The AHCL and ACL MMICs have been fabricated in 100-nm gate-length metamorphic high electron-mobility transistor technology.
Author(s)
Tags
-
active cold load (ACL)
-
active hot load
-
active noise terminations
-
cold noise source
-
field-effect transistor (FET) switches
-
hot noise source
-
high electron mobility transistor (HEMT)
-
low-noise amplifier (LNA)
-
LNA design
-
metamorphic high electron-mobility transistor (mHEMT)
-
millimeter wave imaging
-
monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC)
-
noise measurement
-
noise sources
-
noise temperature
-
radiometer calibration
-
W-band