Evaluation of 28 nm CMOS Receivers at 183 GHz for Space-borne Atmospheric Remote Sensing

This letter discusses the capability of 28 nm CMOS technology to implement receivers at the 183 GHz band enabling the potential of future radiometers for monitoring atmospheric water vapor. To demonstrate the potential of 28 nm for constructing receivers at these frequencies, a prototype LNA and downconverter chip is demonstrated and measurements of both gain and noise performance are presented. The prototype receiver consumes 191 mW of DC power while providing noise temperatures on the order of 2700 K which demonstrates the potential for use in payload restricted cubesats and other small spacecraft platforms.