A fully differential high gain V-band three-stage transformer-coupled power amplifier (PA) is designed and implemented in 65 nm CMOS process. On-chip transformers which offer DC biasing for individual stages, extra stabilization mechanism, single-ended to differential conversion, and input/inter-stage/output matching are used to facilitate a compact amplifier design. The design and optimization methodologies of active and passive devices are presented. With a cascode configuration, the amplifier achieves a linear gain of 30.5 dB centered at 63.5 GHz and a -40 dB reverse isolation under a 1 V supply, which compares favorably to recent published V-band PAs. The amplifier delivers 9 dBm and 13 dBm saturation output power (Psat) under 1 V and 1.5 V supplies, respectively, and occupies a core chip area of 0.05 mm2. The measurement results validate a high gain and area-efficient power amplifier design methodology in deep-scaled CMOS for applications in millimeter-wave communication.

A direct-conversion receiver integrated with the CMOS subharmonic frequency tripler (SFT) for V-band applications is designed, fabricated and measured using 0.13-µm CMOS technology. The receiver consists of a low-noise amplifier, a down-conversion mixer, an output buffer, and an SFT. A fully differential SFT is introduced to relax the requirements on the design of the frequency synthesizer. Thus, the operational frequency of the frequency synthesizer in the proposed receiver is only 20 GHz. The fabricated receiver has a maximum conversion gain of 19.4 dB, a minimum single-side band noise figure of 10.2 dB, the input-referred 1-dB compression point of -20 dBm and the input third order inter-modulation intercept point of -8.3 dB. It draws only 15.8 mA from a 1.2-V power supply with a total chip area of 0.794 mm0.794 mm. As a result, it is feasible to apply the proposed receiver in low-power wireless transceiver in the V-band applications.

We have developed a V-band monolithic HEMT amplifier with single positive power supply. The amplifier used two types of RF grounds for coplanar waveguides (CPW) as transmission lines. One RF ground has a voltage of 0 V at DC, and the other RF ground has a voltage of more than 0 V at DC. A prototype of the monolithic amplifier was fabricated. The amplifier had a gain of 21.0 dB, a Rollett stability factor K of 2.35, an input VSWR of 1.82, and an output VSWR of 2.14 at 59.5 GHz.

The authors have developed V-band high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) MMICs adopting benzo-cyclo-butene (BCB) thin-film layers on GaAs substrates. Since the BCB thin-film layers, which can change the thickness of arbitrary parts on a circuit, are used for these MMICs, both a thin-film microstrip (TFMS) line, offering the advantages of great flexibility in layout and small size, and a coplanar waveguide (CPW), offering the advantage of low loss, can be used according to the purpose of the MMIC. Here we introduce the four types of V-band MMICs that we fabricated: low noise amplifier (LNA), mixer, voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), and power amplifier (PA). The optimum transmission lines were chosen from the TFMS line and the CPW for these MMICs. Miniaturization of the LNA MMIC and the mixer MMIC were attained by adopting the TFMS line, whereas adoption of the CPW enabled the VCO MMIC to achieve high performance. These results indicate that it is important to choose the optimum transmission line according to the purpose of the circuit function for each MMIC. It was confirmed that these newly developed MMICs using the BCB thin-film dielectric layers are attractive for millimeter-wave applications.

A 60-GHz-band monolithic HEMT amplifier for which BCB thin film layers are adopted on GaAs substrate has been developed. The MMIC utilized a thin film microstrip line for the bias circuit and a coplanar waveguide for the RF circuit. The coplanar waveguide has the advantage of low loss, whereas the thin film microstrip line has the advantage of small size. Two different types of transmission lines were selected to coexist in the monolithic amplifier. As a result, the MMIC achieved high gain over a wider frequency range at a small size. This MMIC had a gain of over 15 dB in a frequency bandwidth of 11 GHz. In particular, the high-frequency characteristics of the transmission lines and the HEMTs were evaluated in detail for the conventional MMIC structure and the new MMIC structure. It was confirmed that this newly developed MMIC using BCB thin film layers is attractive for millimeter-wave applications.

Self-aligned T-shaped Au/WSiN gate i-InGaP/n-InGaAs/i-GaAs heterostructure MESFETs with a BP-LDD structure were developed for application to microwave and millimeter-wave communication systems. Owing to the use of tilted-angle n+-ion-implantation, symmetric and asymmetric structures FETs can be fabricated on the same chip and low noise, high breakdown voltage, and high power gain can be attained simultaneously. The fabricated symmetric FETs, with a gate length of 0. 13 µm, exhibit a current cutoff frequency of more than 70 GHz and a minimum noise figure as low as 1. 0 dB at 20 GHz, while the gate-drain breakdown voltage is more than 8 V and the MSG is as high as 7. 8 dB at 60 GHz in the asymmetric FETs on the same chip. V-band MMIC amplifiers fabricated using symmetric FETs exhibit a gain of more than 9 dB and a noise figure of 6 dB over the 50 to 60 GHz frequency range.

We present a realization of the transparent wave absorber effective for the use at V-band frequency. First, we propose a structure of the transparent wave absorber consisting of spacer (polycarbonate) and two transparent resistive sheet (polyethylene terephtalate deposited with Indium Tin Oxide) used as a reflection film and an absorption film. Second, a design chart for this type of wave absorber is shown. Third, a design method and manufacturing process of the transparent wave absorber are described particularly for V-band frequency. As a result, the measurement of reflection loss of the absorber indicate that a peak absorption of 32-38 dB is attained at a target frequency of 60 GHz.