A 40-45 GHz monolithic Gilbert cell mixer

This work has shown that the Gilbert cell multiplier configuration is readily applicable to mm-wave applications utilising pHEMTs in a monolithic environment. Relatively low conversion losses of approximately 3 dB can be achieved with commonly used LO powers of around +10 dBm. The half-Gilbert cell technique with LO balun eliminated results in very small chip area (1.65 mm²). This relates directly to very low cost for high volume applications. The simulation of the chip in the bonded environment shows just how crucial the bond-wire inductance is at mm-wave frequencies