Integrated Differential Amplifier for Ultra-Wideband Electrically Short Antennas

This paper deals with the design of a customized monolithically integrated amplifier for M-sequence UWB radar electrically short receiving antennas. The design requirements are formulated based on the electrically short dipole properties and the schematic and the chip layout are proposed. Furthermore, the circuit is verified by simulations as well as by microprobe measurements of the manufactured prototype. The amplifier is manufactured in the low-cost and easily available 0.35 µm SiGe BiCMOS technology provided by AMS, Austria, fully exploiting the frequency range of the given technology thanks to the modified Cherry-Hooper structure. The achieved properties, such as low cost, minimum size and amplifier parameters adopted especially for applications at electrically short antennas, make the proposed circuit an attractive solution for miniaturized receiving antennas of the M-sequence UWB radars.