A packaged broad-band monolithic variable gain amplifier implemented in AlGaAs/GaAs HBT technology

Author

Yu, Ruai ; Beccue, Steve ; Zampardi, P.J. ; Pierson, Richard L. ; Petersen, Anders ; Wang, K.C. ; Bowers, John E.

Author_Institution

Rockwell Inst. Sci. Center, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA

Volume

31

Issue

10

fYear

1996

fDate

10/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1380

Lastpage

1387

Abstract

Broad-band amplifiers find application in fiber-optic communication link and instrumentation or serve as generic components in high-speed electronic test laboratories. With an advanced AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology, we have designed and fabricated broad-band monolithic variable gain amplifiers (VGAs). High-speed packages for the VGAs were carefully designed to minimize insertion and return losses and to suppress undesired package cavity resonances. Accurate and efficient models for the packages were obtained based on experimental data so that their parasitic effects could be considered in the VGA design. The packaged VGAs provided 10-16 dB adjustable gain with approximately ±1 dB gain variations and constant group delay in the DC-26 GHz band, and showed better than 10 dB input/output return losses in the amplifier passband. When the packaged VGAs were inserted in a 30 Gb/s electronic link, error-free operation was achieved for a 2³¹-1 input pseudorandom bit sequence. These VGAs can be used in fiber-optic transmission systems with data rates up to 30 Gb/s

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; bipolar analogue integrated circuits; delays; gallium arsenide; heterojunction bipolar transistors; losses; optical communication equipment; optical fibre communication; time division multiplexing; wideband amplifiers; 0 to 26 GHz; 10 to 16 dB; 30 Gbit/s; AlGaAs-GaAs; HBT technology; III-V semiconductors; adjustable gain; amplifier passband; broadband monolithic variable gain amplifier; error-free operation; fiber-optic communication link; gain variations; generic components; group delay; high-speed electronic test; insertion losses; package cavity resonance; parasitic effects; pseudorandom bit sequence; return losses; Electronic equipment testing; Electronics packaging; Gain; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; High-speed electronics; Instruments; Laboratories; Optical fiber communication; Optical fiber testing;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9200

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/4.540044

Filename

540044