Transformer-based low voltage design of 17 GHz mixers with on-chip balun using 0.13-μm standard CMOS process

The design of a low supply-voltage mixer with RF frequency of 17.2 GHz using 0.13 mum standard CMOS process is presented. The prominent features of the design include the use of transformer-based Gilbert-mixer and on-chip passive balun. With 1.2 V supply voltage, the measured results from the finished chip show that the substrate loss must be properly taken into account in balun modeling in order to achieve good agreement between simulation and measured circuit performance.