A 280 GHz InP HBT Direct-Conversion Receiver with 10.8 dB NF

We report a fully integrated 280 GHz direct-conversion receiver in 250 nm InP HBT technology. The receiver has > 17 dB conversion gain over 264-297 GHz, consumes 455 mW, and has 10.8-11.6 dB DSB noise figure over 261-300 GHz. Its -3 dB bandwidth is 16.5 GHz, while its -6 dB bandwidth is 34.5 GHz. The local oscillator is generated by an internal 8:1 active frequency multiplier. To the authors' knowledge, the IC demonstrates record noise performance for an integrated receiver operating near 280 GHz.