A 243 GHz LNA Module Based on mHEMT MMICs With Integrated Waveguide Transitions

Author

Hurm, V. ; Weber, R. ; Tessmann, A. ; Massler, Hermann ; Leuther, A. ; Kuri, M. ; Riessle, M. ; Stulz, H.P. ; Zink, M. ; Schlechtweg, Michael ; Ambacher, Oliver ; Narhi, T.

Author_Institution

Fraunhofer Inst. for Appl. Solid State Phys. (IAF), Freiburg, Germany

Volume

23

Issue

9

fYear

2013

fDate

Sept. 2013

Firstpage

486

Lastpage

488

Abstract

For use in a millimeter-wave direct detection radiometer for earth remote sensing, we have developed a low-noise amplifier (LNA) module with a small-signal gain of 19.5 dB at 243 GHz and a 3 dB bandwidth of 40 GHz. The implemented three-stage LNA MMIC has been manufactured using a 50 nm gate length metamorphic HEMT (mHEMT) technology on 50 μm thick GaAs substrates. Each of the two on-chip integrated E-plane probe waveguide transitions offers a transmission loss of only 0.5 dB at 243 GHz including a 7.5 mm long WR-3.4 waveguide. Due to the low-loss packaging, the LNA module achieves a low noise figure of only 6.0 dB at room temperature.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; MMIC amplifiers; field effect MIMIC; field effect MMIC; gallium arsenide; high electron mobility transistors; low noise amplifiers; waveguide transitions; GaAs; LNA module; WR-3.4 waveguide; bandwidth 40 GHz; earth remote sensing; frequency 243 GHz; integrated waveguide transitions; loss 0.5 dB; low-loss packaging; low-noise amplifier module; mHEMT MMIC; metamorphic HEMT technology; millimeter-wave direct detection radiometer; noise figure 6.0 dB; on-chip integrated E-plane probe waveguide transitions; size 50 mum; size 50 nm; three-stage LNA MMIC; transmission loss; Gain; Gallium arsenide; MMICs; Noise; Temperature measurement; Waveguide transitions; mHEMTs; Low-noise amplifier (LNA); WR-03 waveguide band; metamorphic HEMT (mHEMT); millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC); noise figure; packaging; waveguide transition;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1531-1309

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LMWC.2013.2272610

Filename

6568983