A monolithic W-band two-stage balanced power amplifier has been developed using 0.1-/spl mu/m AlGaAs-InGaAs-GaAs pseudomorphic T-gate power HEMT technology. This monolithic power amplifier has demonstrated an output power of 102 mW and a small signal gain of 9 dB with input/output return losses of better than 10 dB at 94 GHz. Moreover, this monolithic chip is fabricated using production GaAs-based HEMT MMIC technology and a good yield is obtained. The circuit design relies on extensive EM analysis of matching structures and accurate device modeling. The success of this monolithic circuit development indicates the maturity of power HEMT MMIC technology at W-band. >

A 94-GHz monolithic balanced power amplifier using 0.1-/spl mu/m gate GaAs-based HEMT MMIC production process technology

This paper presents the development of a 6-W 24% power-added efficiency (PAE) Ka-band power module with an associated power gain of 21.5 dB. The power module consists of a driver amplifier and two power amplifier chips. These monolithic millimeter-wave integrated (MMIC) amplifiers were fabricated with a 2-mil-thick substrate using 0.15-/spl mu/m InGaAs/AlGaAs/GaAs high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) technology. The driver amplifier is a fully matched single-ended design with an output power of 27.5 dBm, a 10.7-dB power gain and 27% PAE. We use a hybrid approach for the output power amplifier, which consists of two partially matched MMIC chips and an eight-way Wilkinson combiner fabricated on alumina substrate. The MMIC power amplifiers delivered a record power of 35.4 dBm (3.5 W) with a PAE of 28% and an associated power gain of 11.5 dB. The eight-way combiner has an insertion loss of 0.6 dB.

A 6-W Ka-band power module using MMIC power amplifiers

The authors have developed a reproducible, high yield and high performance power HEMT Ka-band MMIC production process based on pseudomorphic AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs HEMTs The details of the fabrication process and Ka-band MMIC power amplifier performance from 60 wafers are presented State-of-the-art power performance have been achieved on both devices and MMICs Single-stage MMICs with 400 /spl mu/m devices have demonstrated output power of 240 mW (06 W/mm) at 37 GHz with a power gain of 78 dB and power-added efficiency of 40% The Ka-band MMIC power amplifiers have demonstrated output power of 13 W, 9 dB gain and 24% power added efficiency Furthermore, the power MMIC HEMT process demonstrated a RF MMIC circuit yield of 258% for a total of 6936 possible chips from 60 wafers >

A power HEMT production process for high-efficiency Ka-band MMIC power amplifiers

We present a unique high yield, high performance 0.15 /spl mu/m HEMT production process which supports fabrication of MMW power MMICs up to 70 GHz. This process has been transferred successfully from an R&D process to TRW's GaAs production line. This paper reports the on-wafer test results of more than 1300 V-band MMIC PA circuits measured over 24 wafers. The best 2-stage V-band power MMICs have demonstrated state-of-the-art performance with 9 dB power gain, 20% PAE and 330 mW output power. An excellent RF yield of 60% was achieved with an 8 dB power gain and 250 mW output power specification.

0.15 /spl mu/m InGaAs/AlGaAs/GaAs HEMT production process for high performance and high yield V-band power MMICs

This paper presents a high-power and high-efficiency monolithic power amplifier at V-band utilizing highly reliable and manufacturable 0.15 /spl mu/m InGaAs-AlGaAs-GaAs pseudomorphic HEMT fabrication technology. The performance of the power amplifier is 13.8 dB small signal gain, 13.9% power-added efficiency, and 26.83 dBm (482 mW) compressed power output at 60 GHz for unpassivated HEMT process. The same circuit with passivated process produced a linear gain of 13.2 dB, 11% power-added efficiency, and compressed output power of 25.68 dBm (370 mW). The producibility of this amplifier has been demonstrated in volume production with several wafer lots resulting in a 20% total yield through RF tests. >

A V-band high-efficiency pseudomorphic HEMT monolithic power amplifier

A 34-36-GHz, 1-W, 9-dB-gain monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifier which utilizes 0.15- mu m pseudomorphic InGaAs-GaAs high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) process technology is discussed. Power amplifier sites across the wafer were fully characterized with an on-wafer pulsed large-signal S-parameter test set. Test results from these amplifier chips showed output powers >30 dBm, with >9-dB gain, and power-added efficiencies >20%. Overall chip size is 4.8 mm*2.3 mm. A two-stage power amplifier module using one chip to drive three chips has been developed. The resulting amplifier module has achieved 3-W output power and 17-dB gain from 34-36 GHz. >

A Ka-band HEMT MMIC 1 watt power amplifier

A fully integrated MMlC receiver was designed and fabricated using the 0.2pm pseudomorphic InGaAs/GaAs HEMT process technology. This MMlC receiver incorporates a single-stage RF amplifier, a two-staged balanced LO amplifier, a single-stage IF amplifier, an IF switch and an image-reject diode mixer. Results from these receiver chips showed good conversion gain and image rejection in a single small chip over multi-octave frequencies. This chip operates from a single +5 Vdc and draws 280 mA. Total chip size is 5.5" x 4.5mm.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/694/6842/00276922.pdf

G. S. Dow

Papers

A Ka-band HEMT MMIC 1 watt power amplifier

A HIGHLY COMPACT, WIDEBAND GaAs HEMT