A 94-GHz passive imaging receiver using a balanced LNA with embedded Dicke switch

A fully-integrated silicon-based 94-GHz direct-detection imaging receiver with on-chip Dicke switch and baseband circuitry is demonstrated. Fabricated in a 0.18-µm SiGe BiCMOS technology (fT/fMAX = 200 GHz), the receiver chip achieves a peak imager responsivity of 43 MV/W with a 3-dB bandwidth of 26 GHz. A balanced LNA topology with an embedded Dicke switch provides 30-dB gain and enables a temperature resolution of 0.3–0.4 K. The imager chip consumes 200 mW from a 1.8-V supply.

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