Analog read-out integragted W-band Dicke-radiometer in 0.13um SiGe design and characterization of W-band radiometer RFIC intended for FPA imager

Abstract

A W-band Dicke-radiometer RFIC featuring an on-chip integrated analog read-out back-end optimized for power (75 mW) and area efficiency (0.32 mm2). The RFIC is and realized in a standard IBM8HP 0.13um SiGe BiCMOS process. Initial characterization yields an NEP derived 3-dB system bandwidth of 15 GHz (centered at 92 GHz) with the measured average NEP of 37 fW/√Hz. For 30 msec frame-time this is equivalent to NETD of 0.78 K.