High Gain, Temperature Compensated EHF Gallium Arsenide MESFET Amplifier

This paper describes the development of a state of the art high gain (32 ±0.5 dB), low noise GaAs MESFET amplifier operating over the frequency range 27.5 to 30 GHz for use in European high capacity 30/20 GHz satellite transponders. The amplifier utilises 0.3 ¿m gate length MESFETs with total gate widths of 100¿m and quartz microstrip matching circuits to provide low noise cascadab1e stages of typically 6 dB gain. Six stages have been integrated with E-p1ane probes (on quartz) and low loss WG isolators, and temperature compensation included to maintain the gain within ±1 dB over a temperature range -50°C to +55°C.