A 0.9 mW Compact Power Detector with 30 dB Dynamic Range for Automotive Radar Applications

This work presents a power detector targeting automotive radar systems. The design operates for both long & short-range applications. Responsivity and dynamic range were increased by utilizing a cascode-like configuration that allows using of larger load resistor and supply voltage. Further, layouts of the components were considered to decrease noise contributions. This design was fabricated in IHP’s 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The input return loss of the measured design is better than 15 dB between 76-81 GHz. The dynamic range is measured as 30 dB. The measured responsivity is 63.77 kV/W at 76 GHz. The measured 1/f flicker noise voltage spectral density is $80n{\text{V}}/\sqrt {Hz} $. The power consumption is 0.9 mW. The core area of this chip is 0.114 mm2 (0.38 mm x 0.3 mm).