160-GHz SiGe-based transmitter and receiver with highly directional antennas in package

This paper presents a 160-GHz transmitter and receiver in an embedded wafer level ball grid array package for millimeter-wave applications. The transmitter and the receiver were realized in an SiGe:C HBT production technology with an f_max of 250 GHz. The transmitter features a frequency multiplier chain that scales a 4.3-4.6 GHz signal up to 155-165 GHz, and allows the use of a commercial signal source. The receiver employs a subharmonic mixer with LO and RF frequencies around 80 GHz and 160 GHz, respectively. A highly directional 160-GHz rhombic antenna array was designed and integrated with the aforementioned transmitter and receiver in two 6×6mm² packages. The performance of such a system in package was then evaluated and proved in a quasi-monostatic FMCW radar measurement setup with an up-chirp frequency sweep from 157 GHz to 160 GHz.