77GHz Down-Conversion Mixer with +18.4 dB High-Gain, +12.2 dBm OIP3, and Low-Noise in 90-nm CMOS Technology

Abstract

Abstract In radio-frequency (RF) transceiver system, the receiver is used to convert RF signal to low/medium frequency for signal processing and information gathering. In the paper, a novel high-gain, low-noise CMOS mixer is designed and analyzed. In the design, gain-boosting and PMOS dynamic switching current are employed to achieve better effects of noise cancellation and trans-conductance enhancement. In order to improve the mixer's performance, the designed structure is mainly based on the double-balanced Gilbert lattice mixer combined with the parallel LC resonant and optimum biasing networks. The mixer shows high conversion gain (CG), low noise figure (NF), and low power consumption performances based on made possible by 90-nm CMOS technology. Operated at 77 GHz, the input third-order intercept point (IIP3) is -6.14 dBm, and the maximum conversion gain is 18.4 dB. At an IF frequency of 200 MHz, a bilateral band noise figure of 9.2 dB is recorded, while 6.96 mW is consumed with 1.2 V and 2 dBm LO power.