We report the first ever terahertz monolithic integrated circuit amplifier based on 25-nm InP high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) process demonstrating amplification at 1 THz (1000 GHz) with ...9-dB measured gain at 1 THz. This milestone was achieved with a 25-nm InP HEMT transistor, which exhibits 3.5-dB maximum available gain at 1 and 1.5 THz projected f MAX .
220-GHz Solid-State Power Amplifier Modules Radisic, V.; Leong, K. M. K. H.; Sarkozy, S. ...
IEEE journal of solid-state circuits,
10/2012, Letnik:
47, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This paper reports on several solid-state power amplifier (PA) modules operating at frequencies around the 220-GHz propagation window. Included is a single module demonstrating saturated output power ...≥60 mW from 205 to 225 GHz and peak output power of 75 mW at 210 GHz using eight-way on-chip power combining. The output power is further increased by using waveguide power combining with WR-4 waveguide. Results include a single two-way combined module achieving >; 100 mW of power from 210 to 225 GHz and four-way combining using two two-way combiners to reach 185 mW of output power at 210 GHz. The amplifier MMICs uses sub-50-nm InP HEMT transistors, coplanar waveguide (CPW) technology, and on-chip electromagnetic transitions to waveguide. Finally, preliminary burn-in and initial room-temperature lifetest data is shown.
Power Amplification at 0.65 THz Using InP HEMTs Radisic, V.; Leong, K. M. K. H.; Xiaobing Mei ...
IEEE transactions on microwave theory and techniques,
2012-March, 2012-03-00, 20120301, Letnik:
60, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
In this paper, progress toward developing solid-state power-amplifier modules at 0.65 THz is reported. This work is enabled by a >;1 THz f MAX InP HEMT transistor with a 30-nm gate and an integrated ...circuit process specifically tailored for circuits operating at frequencies approaching 1 THz. The building block of the reported amplifier modules is an eight-stage terahertz monolithic integrated circuit (TMIC) amplifier. The first six stages of the TMIC use 20- transistors, while the final two output stages rely on two power-combined 20-μm transistors to increase the output power. For operation at 0.65 THz, the TMIC also relies on integrated electromagnetic transitions for direct coupling with the WR1.5 waveguide of the amplifier package. Two modules are reported, with the first module containing a single TMIC and demonstrating a peak saturated output power of 1.7 mW at 640 GHz with a measured small-signal gain ≥10 dB from 629 to 638 GHz. The second module features two power-combined TMICs to increase output power. This is done using a waveguide Y-junction as both the combiner and splitter. In test, this power-combined module reached a peak output power of 3 mW at 650 GHz and measured small-signal gain ≥10 dB from 625 to 640 GHz.
This paper reports on development of 850 GHz band receiver and transmitter front-ends using a new generation of 25 nm indium phosphide high electron mobility transistor engineered for high maximum ...frequency of oscillation f MAX and cut-off frequency fT. Integrated circuits in this technology are used for all receiver and transmitter functions, including low noise amplification and power amplification directly at 850 GHz, as well as frequency conversion. This paper provides a detailed summary of process capability, integrated circuit design and packaging, and an overview of the receiver and transmitter front-ends.
In this paper, we report on the first demonstration of monolithically integrated waveguide transitions in a submillimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuit (S-MMIC) amplifier module. We designed the ...module for a targeted frequency range of 300-350 GHz, using WR2.2 for the input and output waveguides. The waveguide module utilizes radial -plane transitions from S-MMIC to waveguide. We designed back-to-back radial probe transitions separated by thru transmission lines to characterize the module, and have incorporated the radial -plane transitions with an S-MMIC amplifier, fabricated monolithically as a single chip. The chip makes use of an S-MMIC process and amplifier design from the Northrop Grumman Corporation, Redondo Beach, CA, using 35-nm gate-length InP transistors. The integrated module design eliminates the need for wire bonds in the RF signal path, and enables a drop-in approach for minimal assembly. The waveguide module includes a channel design, which optimizes the -plane probe bandwidth to compensate for an S-MMIC width, which is larger than the waveguide dimension, and is compatible with S-MMIC fabrication and design rules. This paper demonstrates for the first time that waveguide-based S-MMIC amplifier modules with integrated waveguide transitions can be successfully operated at submillimeter-wave frequencies.
Indium Phosphide MMIC LNAs are enabling new capabilities in instrument development. The development of arrays of hundreds of cryogenically-cooled millimeter wave receivers has previously been ...challenging, but is now achievable with highly repeatable MMIC processes and advances in cryogenic on-wafer testing of LNAs. We have developed InP HEMT LNA MMICs for the 67-90 GHz frequency band that is the last missing receiver system from the ALMA. These MMICs provided average performance of less than 22.5 K noise temperature over the frequency band and minimum noise temperature of 17.5 K at 72 GHz. These LNAs achieve NT=220K (NF=2.4dB) at 90 GHz for Earth remote sensing instrument on Sentinel-6. Our HRMR (High Resolution Microwave Radiometer) achieves NEDT <; 0.05K enabling Sentinel-6 to measure coastal ocean topography at 3 km resolution with better than 1 cm accuracy.
Millimeter and submillimeter indium phosphide (InP) microwave monolithic integrated circuits (MMICs) are increasingly used in applications spanning Earth science, astrophysics, and defense. In this ...paper, we characterize direct detection and heterodyne gain fluctuations of 35-, 30-, and 25-nm gate-length InP MMIC low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) designed for the 200-670-GHz frequency range. Of the twelve MMIC LNAs, five pairs have also been measured in multistage or cascaded configuration. In direct detection mode, the MMICs room temperature (RT) 1/f noise spectrum and responsivity were measured. From these the power spectral density, the noise equivalent temperature difference (NETD), equivalent system noise temperature (T sys DD ), and low-frequency normalized gain fluctuations (ΔG/G) are derived. On the same set of MMIC LNAs, using a heterodyne down conversion technique, the Allan variance method is applied to obtain the Allan stability time and normalized 4-8 GHz gain fluctuation noise at both RT and two cryogenic temperatures. We find in the case of 35-, 30-, and 25-nm gate-length InP MMIC LNAs that the derived direct detection and heterodyne gain stability is highly process dependent with only a secondary dependence on gate periphery, the number of gate fingers, and/or gain stages. This observation confirms the underlying solid-state physics understanding that gain fluctuation noise is the result of a temporal distribution of the generation and recombination of electron free carriers due to lattice defects and surface impurities. Upon cooling below ~66 K, it is observed that on average gain fluctuations increase by ≳2.2× and the Allan stability time decreases by ~2.5×. The presented measurement results compare favorably
Low noise amplifier for 180 GHz frequency band Kangaslahti, Pekka; Pukala, David; Gaier, Todd ...
2008 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest,
2008-June
Conference Proceeding
Measurement of the humidity profile of the atmosphere is highly important for atmospheric science and weather forecasting. This sounding measurement is obtained at frequencies close to the resonance ...frequency of water molecules (183 GHz). We have designed and characterized a MMIC low noise amplifier that will increase the sensitivity of sounding instruments at these frequencies. This study demonstrated a factor of two improvement in MMIC LNA noise temperature at this frequency band. The measured packaged InP monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifier had a noise temperature of NT=390 K (NF=3.7 dB). The circuit was fabricated in 35 nm InP high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) process.
In this letter, the first packaged THz solid-state amplifier operating at 0.85 THz is reported. The InP HEMT amplifier achieves a noise figure as low as 11.1 dB with an associated gain of 13.6 dB at ...0.85 THz using high fMAX InP HEMT transistors in a 10-stage coplanar waveguide integrated circuit. Output power up to 0.93 mW is measured.
A 50 mW 220 GHz power amplifier module Radisic, Vesna; Leong, Kevin M K H; Xiaobing Mei ...
2010 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium
Conference Proceeding
In this paper, a 220 GHz solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) module is presented. Eight-way on-chip power combining is used to achieve a saturated output power ≥ 50 mW over a 217.5 to 220 GHz ...bandwidth, representing a significant increase in SSPA output power at this frequency compared to prior state of the art. The amplifier MMIC is implemented in coplanar waveguide (CPW) technology and uses sub 50 nm InP HEMT transistors. Two levels of power combining, a 2:1 tandem coupler and a 4:1 Dolph-Chebychev transformer, are realized in CPW. The module demonstrates ≥ 11.5 dB small signal gain from 207 to 230 GHz. Saturated output power ≥ 40 mW was measured from 216 to 222.5 GHz.
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