44-GHz High Power and Driver Microstrip Amplifier MMICs using 6-inch 0.15-μm PHEMTs

A family of robust and cost effective 44-GHz microstrip MMIC power amplifiers has been developed based on a standard 6-inch, 0.15-mum GaAs power pHEMT production process on 100-mum substrate thickness. These amplifiers provide high output powers at 44-GHz with a MTTF exceeding two million hours at 75degC backplate temperature. The single-ended, 3-stage amplifier MMIC has more than 15 dB small signal gain at 44 GHz and 28 dBm output power for a chip area of 5.6 mm² . For the same frequency band, a balanced 1.25-W power amplifier and a doubly-balanced 2.25-W amplifier achieved linear gain of more than 18 dBm and better than -20 dB S₁₁ and S₂₂, with chip areas of 10.8 and 21.5 mm² respectively. To our knowledge, in terms of power and power density per chip area, these results are among the highest output power levels reported to date at this frequency for single chip MMICs on 100-mum substrate with acceptable lifetime