A high linearity I/Q mixer for high data rate E-band wireless communication links

A high linearity I/Q bi-directional mixer MMIC using a Lange coupler to generate the 90° phase shift between the I and Q ports for E-band communication systems has been successfully realized in a 50nm mHEMT technology. The mixer achieves a measured conversion gain of -11 dB without pre- or post-amplification and an IF bandwidth of 6 GHz. An on-wafer linearity measurement shows no compression behavior up to an RF input power of 2 dBm, which is higher than the 1 dBcompression point of other reported E-band mixers.