Q-Band Compact Driver and Power Amplifier MMICs Matched by π-type Low-Pass Filter Using Lumped Elements

Fully-matched driver and power amplifier MMICs have been successfully developed operating with the frequency range from 37 GHz to 43 GHz. MIM capacitors and high impedance lines have been employed as matching elements to accomplish a compact chip size. A π-type input matching network with optimized circuit parameters has been additionally introduced into the chips. As a result, this new design technique has achieved both wideband input matching characteristics and reduction in variations of input return loss due to process fluctuation of MIM capacitors. The driver and power amplifiers have linear gains of 22 dB and 12 dB, input return losses of greater than 8 dB and 9 dB, and output return losses of greater than 6 dB and 8 dB in the frequency range, respectively. Their chip sizes are 0.83 × 1.99 mm2 and 1.60 × 1.99 mm2, respectively. Saturated powers of the amplifiers are greater than 17.6 dBm and 24.6 dBm from 37 GHz to 40 GHz.