A Q-band monolithic linear amplifier using AlGaAs/GaAs HBT´s

Author

Youngwoo Kwon ; Wu-Jing Ho ; Higgins, J.A.

Author_Institution

Rockwell Sci. Center, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA

Volume

6

Issue

4

fYear

1996

fDate

4/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

180

Lastpage

182

Abstract

The authors report on a Q-band monolithic heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) amplifier demonstrating high gain, efficiency, excellent linearity, and low added phase noise. The amplifier used 40 μm² CB-HBTs in a balanced configuration. The monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifier showed a peak gain of 13.5 dB at 38 GHz and a 3 dB bandwidth of 10 GHz. Under class-A bias conditions, the circuit exhibited P/sub 1 dB/ higher than 15 dBm from 35-41.5 GHz and a peak PAE of 32% at 35 GHz. Two-tone tests showed an IP₃ of 30 dBm at 44 GHz and IMD₃ ratios better than 20 dBc at 1-dB gain compression point. Amplifier phase noise measurement showed added phase noise of -148 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz away from the carrier at P₁ /sub dB/. This circuit demonstrates a great potential for the HBT MMIC´s for MM-wave high-efficiency linear applications.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; MMIC amplifiers; aluminium compounds; bipolar MIMIC; gallium arsenide; heterojunction bipolar transistors; integrated circuit noise; millimetre wave amplifiers; phase noise; wideband amplifiers; 10 GHz; 13.5 dB; 32 percent; 35 to 40 GHz; AlGaAs-GaAs; EHF; MM-wave high-efficiency linear applications; MMIC amplifier; Q-band; balanced configuration; class-A bias conditions; heterojunction bipolar transistor; monolithic HBT amplifier; monolithic microwave integrated circuit; phase noise; Gain; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Linearity; Low-noise amplifiers; MMICs; Microwave amplifiers; Microwave integrated circuits; Monolithic integrated circuits; Phase noise;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave and Guided Wave Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1051-8207

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/75.481081

Filename

481081