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A 200–280 GHz RF front-end of transmitter is demonstrated in 65-nm CMOS. Saturated EIRP is greater than −5dBm over a frequency range of 60GHz. When the input power is −20dBm, EIRP is greater than −10dBm for most of the frequency range, and achieves 3-dB and 6-dB bandwidths of 24% and 33%. The front-end was integrated with a fractional-N synthesizer to form a transmitter operating at 208–255GHz with EIRP of −18 to −11dBm. The transmitter and a CMOS receiver are used for rotational spectroscopy and to detect ethanol in human breath.

A fully integrated CMOS receiver for mm-wave rotational spectroscopy is demonstrated. The receiver consists of a sub-harmonic mixer based receiving front-end which down-converts 225–280 GHz RF input to 20 GHz intermediate frequency, a 20-GHz AM demodulator followed by a baseband buffer amplifier, and an 122–139 GHz local oscillator chain which is comprised of a frequency quadrupler and a driver amplifier. The receiver exhibits responsivity of 400–1200 kV/W and noise equivalent power of 0.4 to 1.2 pW/√Hz from 225 to 280 GHz. Detection of ethanol, propionitrile (EtCN), acetonitrile (CH3CN) and acetone in a mixture is demonstrated using the receiver in a rotational spectrometer setup. This is the first demonstration that a CMOS receiver can be used for rotational spectroscopy and that a CMOS circuit can support an existing application at frequencies above 200 GHz.

This study created an alcohol use problem severity taxonomy and examined its association to engagement in other problem behaviors. Minnesota youths were categorized based on their frequency of alcohol use and DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence criteria. Greater alcohol use problem severity was generally associated with higher prevalence of lifetime and regular marijuana use and higher odds of lifetime sexual intercourse and past-year arrest/law trouble. Knowing about variations in adolescent alcohol use and problems may be instrumental in gauging the degree to which youths may also be engaging in a range of other problem behaviors.