This article reviews the state-of-the-art millimeter-wave (mm-wave) power amplifiers (PAs), focusing on broadband design techniques. An overview of the main solid-state technologies is provided, including Si, gallium arsenide (GaAs), GaN, and other III–V materials, and both field-effect and bipolar transistors. The most popular broadband design techniques are introduced, before critically comparing through the most relevant design examples found in the scientific literature. Given the wide breadth of applications that are foreseen to exploit the mm-wave spectrum, this contribution will represent a valuable guide for designers who need a single reference before adventuring in the challenging task of the mm-wave PA design.

/pdf/a-review-of-technologies-and-design-techniques-of-millimeter-wekhp9uz17.pdf

A Review of Technologies and Design Techniques of Millimeter-Wave Power Amplifiers

High frequency and high efficiency operation is one of the premier interests in the signal and energy conversion applications. The wide bandgap GaN based devices possess superior properties and have demonstrated exceeding performance than Si or GaAs devices. In order to further exploit the potential of GaN electronics, monolithic power integration is proposed. Firstly, this paper discusses the structure and properties of GaN power devices to explain the choice of lateral integration in the view of GaN power ICs. Then the state-of-the-art performance of GaN power integration in two major application areas is reviewed, which are the microwave power amplification and DC-DC power conversion. The GaN power integration technologies in MMIC platforms are summarized in terms of the gate length, operation frequency and power added efficiency of ICs. On the other hand, the smart GaN power IC platforms have boosted the development of DC-DC power converters. Demonstrations of high frequency (>1 MHz) and high efficiency (>95 %) converters with various kinds of integration technology and topology are reviewed. Lastly novel integration schemes and methods are introduced to stimulate new thoughts on GaN power integration road.

/pdf/gan-power-integration-for-high-frequency-and-high-efficiency-5g1ld91r2e.pdf

GaN Power Integration for High Frequency and High Efficiency Power Applications: A Review

A MMIC process in AlGaN/GaN technology for advanced transceiver design has been developed. The process is based on microstrip technology with a complete model library of passive elements and AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. The transistor technology in this process is suitable for both power and low noise design, demonstrated with a power density of 5 W/mm, and an NFmin of 1.4 dB at X-band. Process stability of subcircuits, complementary to power amplifiers and LNAs, in a transceiver system have been investigated. The results indicate that an all AlGaN/GaN MMIC transceiver is realizable using this technology.

An AlGaN/GaN HEMT-Based Microstrip MMIC Process for Advanced Transceiver Design

Optoelectronic signal processing offers great potential for generation and detection of ultra-broadband waveforms in the terahertz range (so-called T-waves). However, fabrication of the underlying devices still relies on complex processes using dedicated III–V semiconductor substrates. This severely restricts the application potential of current T-wave transmitters and receivers and impedes co-integration of these devices with advanced photonic signal processing circuits. Here, we demonstrate that these limitations can be overcome by plasmonic internal-photoemission detectors (PIPEDs). PIPEDs can be realized on the silicon photonic platform, which allows exploiting the enormous opportunities of the associated device portfolio. In our experiments, we demonstrate both T-wave signal generation and coherent detection at frequencies up to 1 THz. To prove the viability of our concept, we monolithically integrate PIPED transmitters and receivers on a common silicon chip and use them to measure the complex transfer impedance of an integrated T-wave device. Transmitters and receivers based on plasmonic internal-photoemission detectors are developed for optoelectronic terahertz signal processing and monolithically integrated on a silicon chip. Proof-of-concept experiments are demonstrated.

/pdf/silicon-plasmonic-integrated-circuits-for-terahertz-signal-3li2zlelg8.pdf

Silicon–plasmonic integrated circuits for terahertz signal generation and coherent detection

The high-frequency noise performance of the GaN HEMT is studied for temperatures between 297-398 K. The access resistances RS and RD have a limiting effect on the noise performance, and in this paper, their temperature dependence is studied in detail for a 2 times 100 mum GaN HEMT. RS and RD show an increase of 0.71 and 0.86 %/K, respectively. The self-heating effect due to dissipated power is also studied to allow accurate intrinsic small-signal and noise parameter extraction. The thermal resistance is measured by infrared microscopy. Based on these results, a temperature dependent noise model including self-heating and temperature-dependent access resistances is derived and verified with measurements.

Thermal Study of the High-Frequency Noise in GaN HEMTs

This paper presents measurement results of a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) chip set and of an ultra-wideband high power amplifier (HPA) transmit module for multi-functional next-generation active electronically scanned antenna radar/electronic warfare/communication applications targeting the frequency range from 6 to 18 GHz. The reported chip set consists of a driver amplifier (DA) MMIC and an HPA MMIC on a high-power gallium-nitride process with high electronic-mobility transistors. The DA reaches a power gain of 11 dB and maximum output power of 2 W, which is sufficient to drive a final stage in a balanced configuration. The HPA reaches a typical output power of 12.5 and 10.6 W in pulsed and continuous wave (CW) operation, respectively. Measurements on the module level indicate 18.5-W typical output power in both pulsed and CW operation.

Ultra-Wideband GaN MMIC Chip Set and High Power Amplifier Module for Multi-Function Defense AESA Applications

High‐Power Microwave GaN/AlGaN HEMTs and MMICs on SiC and Silicon Substrates for Modern Radio Communication

In this paper, we report state-of-the-art high frequency performance of a W-band voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) MMIC realized in a 0.1 μm AlGaN/GaN HEMT technology. The oscillation frequency of the VCO can be tuned between 85.6 and 92.7 GHz, which is a relative tuning bandwidth of 8%. The achieved maximum output power is as high as 10.6 dBm. The phase noise of the VCO varies from -80.2 to -90.2 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset from the carrier over the tuning voltage range.

A 92 GHz GaN HEMT voltage-controlled oscillator MMIC

Amplifiers for the next generation of T/R modules in future active array antennas are realized as monolithically integrated circuits (MMIC) on the basis of novel AlGaN/GaN (is a chemical material description) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures. Both low-noise and power amplifiers are designed for X-band frequencies. The MMICs are designed, simulated, and fabricated using a novel via-hole microstrip technology. Output power levels of 6.8 W (38 dBm) for the driver amplifier (DA) and 20 W (43 dBm) for the high-power amplifier (HPA) are measured. The measured noise figure of the low-noise amplifier (LNA) is in the range of 1.5 dB. A T/R-module front-end with mounted GaN MMICs is designed based on a multi-layer low-temperature cofired ceramic technology (LTCC).

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1759078709990389

X-band T/R-module front-end based on GaN MMICs

This paper reports on the first stacked field-effect transistor (stacked-FET) submillimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuit (S-MMIC) power amplifier cell operating at 0.3 THz and the first stacked-FET medium power amplifier (MPA) at 240 GHz. Both circuits are fabricated using a 35-nm InGaAs-on-GaAs metamorphic high electron mobility transistor (mHEMT) technology with grounded coplanar waveguide lines. In both cases, compactness and performance are enhanced thanks to the use of an in-house process, based on three-metallization layers, instead of the usual two-layer process. The single-stacked cell exhibits an ultrawide small-signal 3-dB relative bandwidth (RBW) of $\hbox{47.3}{\%}$ , with output power levels higher than 4.3 dBm from 280 to 308 GHz (9.5%). The MPA MMIC combining four triple-stacked mHEMT cells in parallel achieves a small-signal 3-dB RBW of 24.2%, 10.8 dBm of output power, and a power-added efficiency of 5.02%. These values outperform the state-of-the-art results of MPAs published within a comparable technology.

Friedbert van Raay

Papers

Ultra-Wideband GaN MMIC Chip Set and High Power Amplifier Module for Multi-Function Defense AESA Applications

High‐Power Microwave GaN/AlGaN HEMTs and MMICs on SiC and Silicon Substrates for Modern Radio Communication

A 92 GHz GaN HEMT voltage-controlled oscillator MMIC

X-band T/R-module front-end based on GaN MMICs

Analysis and Development of Submillimeter-Wave Stacked-FET Power Amplifier MMICs in 35-nm mHEMT Technology