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Analyses and design of 95-GHz SoC CMOS radiometers for passive body imaging

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Abstract

Passive radiometry is a health-safe alternative to other imaging techniques conceived to be used on human beings for security screening or medical imaging applications. In this work we address a study on the feasibility of W-band passive radiometers in nano-scale CMOS technology for imaging applications. In particular, this study takes into account some of the most relevant aspects regarding the system-on-a-chip implementation, from system to circuit and technology limitations, with emphasis on the impact of the non-idealities of the detector on the overall system performances. Excluding the hardware differences between the investigated receiver architectures and their substantial implications, especially in case of array systems, the investigation shows how there is no a clear evidence to identify a priori the best performance receiver architecture, but it depends on the circuits, as well as operating frequency and technology.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by Microelectronic Circuits Centre Ireland (MCCI), Analog Devices (Ireland), M/A-COM Technology Solutions (Ireland), Silansys, and Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). MCCI Technology Centre is funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation through Enterprise Ireland under the National Development Plan 2006–2013. The Technology Centres Programmes is a joint Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland initiative to support industry in Ireland. The authors are grateful to Profs. P. Heydari (University of California, Irvine), G. Rebeiz (University of California, San Diego) and S. Voinigescu (University of Toronto) for the permission to reproduce the circuit schematics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intel, Leixlip, Ireland

    Lorenzo Mereni

  2. Tyndall National Institute, Lee Maltings, Dyke Parade, Cork, Ireland

    Domenico Pepe & Domenico Zito

  3. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

    Domenico Zito

  4. Microelectronic Circuits Centre Ireland, Cork, Ireland

    Lorenzo Mereni, Domenico Pepe & Domenico Zito

Authors
  1. Lorenzo Mereni
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  2. Domenico Pepe
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  3. Domenico Zito
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Correspondence to Domenico Zito.

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Mereni, L., Pepe, D. & Zito, D. Analyses and design of 95-GHz SoC CMOS radiometers for passive body imaging. Analog Integr Circ Sig Process 77, 373–383 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-013-0194-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-013-0194-8

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