High performance V-band low noise amplifiers

Significant advances in high-frequency, low noise amplifier (LNA) performance have been achieved. Noise figures under 2.0 dB have been demonstrated with several single-stage amplifiers incorporating devices from different wafers. These amplifiers utilized an Al/sub 0.48/In/sub 0.52/As-Ga/sub 0.47/In/sub 0.53/As lattice matched InP high-electron-mobility transistor device with a gate periphery of 50 mu m*0.2 mu m. The typical f/sub t/ of these devices is in excess of 120 GHz, with an extrinsic g/sub m/ of more than 900 mS/mm. The best result obtained for a single-stage LNA was 0.8 dB, with an associated gain of 8.7 dB at 63.5 GHz. A three-stage V-band amplifier produced a minimum noise figure of 2.6 dB, with 19.5 dB of gain at 61.0 GHz.<>