Monolithic millimeter-wave distributed amplifiers using AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

Two monolithic broadband distributed amplifiers have been designed and fabricated using AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. One of them uses a standard HEMT for the unit cell and shows a measured S21 of 5.2±1dB from 1-50GHz. The second distributed amplifier uses dual-gate HEMTs for the unit cell and achieves a measured S21 of 12±1dB from 2-32GHz. The process consists of 200nm gate-length HEMTs, CPW transmission lines, MIM capacitors and thin-film resistors. The dual-gate distributed amplifier achieves a CW peak output power of 1W and a PAE of about 16% at 4GHz.

[1]  James B. Beyer,et al.  MESFET Distributed Amplifier Design Guidelines , 1984 .

[2]  T. Edwards.  Semiconductor Technology Trends for Phased Array Antenna Power Amplifiers , 2006, 2006 European Radar Conference.

[3]  H. A. Hung,et al.  AlGaN/GaN $Ka$-Band 5-W MMIC Amplifier , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[4]  Y.-F. Wu,et al.  3.5-watt AlGaN/GaN HEMTs and amplifiers at 35 GHz , 2003, IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting 2003.

[5]  S. Keller,et al.  High-power AlGaN/GaN HEMTs for Ka-band applications , 2005, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[6]  A. Kurdoghlian,et al.  GaN MMIC technology for microwave and millimeter-wave applications , 2005, IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symposium, 2005. CSIC '05..

[7]  U. Mishra,et al.  Status of AlGaN/GaN HEMT technology - a UCSB perspective , 2005, European Gallium Arsenide and Other Semiconductor Application Symposium, GAAS 2005.

[8]  M. Schlechtweg,et al.  Ka-band AlGaN/GaN HEMT high power and driver amplifier MMICs , 2005, European Gallium Arsenide and Other Semiconductor Application Symposium, GAAS 2005.

[9]  J. Fukaya,et al.  High Power GaAs MMIC Chipsets for 18 to 32 GHz Frequency Band Applications , 2000, 2000 30th European Microwave Conference.

[10]  G. Dambrine,et al.  A new method for determining the FET small-signal equivalent circuit , 1988 .

[11]  D.E. Meharry,et al.  Multi-Watt Wideband MMICs in GaN and GaAs , 2007, 2007 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium.