Title :
220-GHz metamorphic HEMT amplifier MMICs for high-resolution imaging applications
Author_Institution :
Fraunhofer Inst. for Appl. Solid State Phys., Freiburg, Germany
Abstract :
In this paper, the development of 220-GHz low-noise amplifier (LNA) MMICs for use in high-resolution active and passive millimeter-wave imaging systems is presented. The amplifier circuits have been realized using a well-proven 0.1-μm gate length and an advanced 0.05-μm gate length InAlAs/InGaAs based depletion-type metamorphic high electron mobility transistor technology. Furthermore, coplanar circuit topology in combination with cascode transistors was applied, leading to a compact chip size and an excellent gain performance at high millimeter-wave frequencies. A realized single-stage 0.05-μm cascode LNA exhibited a small-signal gain of 10 dB at 222 GHz, while a 0.1-μm four-stage amplifier circuit achieved a linear gain of 20 dB at the frequency of operation and more than 10 dB over the bandwidth from 180 to 225 GHz.
Keywords :
HEMT integrated circuits; III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; field effect MMIC; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; millimetre wave amplifiers; millimetre wave imaging; 0.05 micron; 0.1 micron; 10 dB; 20 dB; 220 GHz; 222 GHz; 45 GHz; InAlAs-InGaAs; MMIC; cascode transistors; high resolution imaging; low noise amplifier; millimeter wave imaging; millimeter wave metamorphic HEMT amplifier; Frequency; Gain; High-resolution imaging; Indium compounds; Low-noise amplifiers; MMICs; Millimeter wave circuits; Millimeter wave technology; Millimeter wave transistors; mHEMTs; Cascode; G-band; coplanar waveguide; metamorphic high electron mobility transistor (MHEMT); millimeter-wave amplifier; monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC);
Journal_Title :
Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JSSC.2005.854591
