110-140-GHz Wide-IF-Band 65-nm CMOS Receiver Design for Fusion Plasma Diagnostics

Development of millimeter-wave wideband receivers is critical for understanding and controlling the nuclear fusion plasma dynamics for renewable energy generation. This article describes the latest progress in the design of a 110-140-GHz wide-intermediate frequency (IF)-bandwidth, 65-nm CMOS chip receiver. This receiver chip includes a radio frequency-low noise amplifier (RF-LNA), actively biased broadband mixer, 2-18-GHz IF-amp, 36-47-GHz tripler, and a 110-140-GHz driver amplifier. The chip size is 1250×1150μm2 and its total power consumption is 250 mW at 1.8-V bias or 400 mW at 2.5 V. The on-wafer measured conversion gain is 7 dB, noise figure (NF) is 14 dB at 110 GHz, and the RF-IP1dB is -21 dBm. In addition to fusion plasma diagnostics, this 65-nm CMOS receiver is applicable for use in applications such as the high-speed local networking around the 118-GHz oxygen absorption line and millimeter-wave test instruments in the post-5G era.