Ultra-wideband signal generation at 300 GHz in a SiGe BiCMOS technology

In this paper an ultra high bandwidth signal generation MMIC is presented. Based on an fundamental oscillator working at 75 GHz followed by a two stage frequency quadrupler, an output frequency range from 231.2-309.1 GHz is achieved, resulting in an overall tuning range of almost 78 GHz. The maximum output power of the transmitter MMIC is -2.8 dBm with a power variation of 7.5 dB over the complete 78 GHz tuning range. In combination with a low phase noise of approx. -75 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz offset of the 300 GHz output signal, various high resolution distance measurements or imaging applications especially in the field of industrial quality assurance or in-line process monitoring become possible. With a power consumption of the complete MMIC of 700 mW at a single supply voltage of 5 V the realization of low-power sensors for industrial use can be achieved. The use of the well-established B11HFC SiGe BiCMOS technology provided by Infineon Technologies AG allows a reliable and cost-effective production as well.