Active enhanced tunable high-Q on-chip E-band resonators in 130nm SiGe BiCMOS

Abstract

A simulation study of a high-Q resonator in a commercial 130nm SiGe BiCMOS process for E-band frequencies is presented. The resonator is a planar quarter-wave microstrip resonator that uses a HBT based negative resistance circuit to counter losses and enhance the unloaded Q-factor. Using 3D EM (FEM) and circuit co-simulation, enhanced unloaded Q-factors of up to 892 are shown at a frequency of 83.5 GHz compared to the unenhanced unloaded Q-factor of 7. The negative resistance circuit sufficiently compensates for low Q-factors of the planar resonator and the varactor. The resonator is also shown to be continuously tunable in frequency from 82 to 84 GHz, and in unloaded Q-factor from 7 to 892, whilst maintaining unconditional stability in all tuning states.