A 77-100 GHz power amplifier using 0.1-<i>μ</i>m GaAs PHEMT technology

Qin Ge; Wei Liu; Bo Xu; Feng Qian; Changfei Yao

doi:10.1088/1674-4926/38/3/035001

J. Semicond. > 2017, Volume 38 > Issue 3 > 035001

SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

A 77-100 GHz power amplifier using 0.1-μm GaAs PHEMT technology

Qin Ge^1,, Wei Liu², Bo Xu¹, Feng Qian¹ and Changfei Yao¹

+ Author Affiliations

Corresponding author: Qin Ge, Email:geqin_001@163.com

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/38/3/035001

Abstract: A wideband MMIC power amplifier at W-band is reported in this letter. The four-stage MMIC, developed using 0.1 μm GaAs pseudomorphic HEMT (PHEMT) technology, demonstrated a flat small signal gain of 12.4±2 dB with a minimum saturated output power (Psat) of 14.2 dBm from 77 to 100 GHz. The typical Psat is better by 16.3 dBm with a flatness of 0.4 dB and the maximum power added efficiency is 6% between 77 and 92 GHz. This result shows that the amplifier delivers output power density of about 470 mW/mm with a total gate output periphery of 100 μm. As far as we know, it is nearly the best power density performance ever published from a single ended GaAs-based PHEMT MMIC at this frequency band.

Key words: W-band, GaAs PHEMT, MMIC, wideband, power amplifier

References

[1]	Huang P P, Huang T W, Wang H, et al. A 94-GHz 0.35-W power amplifier module. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 1997, 45(12):2418 doi: 10.1109/22.643854
[2]	Herrick K J, Lardizabal S M, Marsh P F, et al. 95 GHz metamorphic HEMT power amplifiers on GaAs. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2003, 1:137
[3]	Chiu H C, Ke B Y. High performance V-band GaAs power amplifier and low noise amplifier using low-loss transmission line technology. International High Speed Intelligent Communication Forum (HSIC), 2012:1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254036686_High_performance_V-band_GaAs_power_amplifier_and_low_noise_amplifier_using_low-loss_transmission_line_technology
[4]	Tsai Z M, Lin K Y, Wang H. A 71-80 GHz medium power amplifier using 4-mil 0.15-μm GaAs-PHEMT technology. AsiaPacific Microwave Conference Proceedings (APMC), 2011:1130
[5]	Yang X, Yang H, Zhang H Y, et al. A monolithic 60 GHz balanced low noise amplifier. J Semicond, 2015, 36(4):045003 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/4/045003
[6]	Mu L F, Zhang W D, He C D, et al. Design and test of a capacitance detection circuit based on a transimpedance amplifier. J Semicond, 2015, 36(7):075007 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/7/075007
[7]	Zhao H, Yao H F, Ding P, et al. A full W-band low noise amplifier module for millimeter-wave applications. J Semicond, 2015, 36(9):095001 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/9/095001
[8]	Jin J, Shi J, Ai B L, et al. A highly linear power amplifier for WLAN. J Semicond, 2016, 37(2):025006 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/37/2/025006
[9]	Leong Y C, Weinreb S. Full W-band MMIC medium power amplifier. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2000, 2:951
[10]	Abbasi M, Zirath H, Angelov I. Q-, V-, and W-band power amplifiers utilizing coupled lines for impedance matching. IEEE MTTS International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2008:863 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4375488_Q-_V-_and_W-band_power_amplifiers_utilizing_coupled_lines_for_impedance_matching
[11]	Siweris H J, Werthof A, Tischer H, et al. A mixed Si and GaAs chip set for millimeter-wave automotive radar front-ends. In Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) Symposium, Digest of Papers, 2000:191 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3854431_A_mixed_Si_and_GaAs_chip_set_for_millimeter-wave_automotive_radar_front-ends?_sg=KCyWzz1feb-fr0Av_D2_9jO2U4ErtRIv9OYJ31M9fsignInp7LkGqbxVsHwYnA-xOaMa9tCLhrmhuJVlBXru_g
[12]	Morgan M, Weinreb S. A W-band monolithic medium power amplifier. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2003, 1:133 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew_Morgan8/publication/4022212_A_W-band_monolithic_medium_power_amplifier/links/54d145f40cf28959aa7ac74c.pdf
[13]	Canales F D, Abbasi M. A 75-90 GHz high linearity MMIC power amplifier with integrated output power detector. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2013:1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261108691_A_75-90_GHz_high_linearity_MMIC_power_amplifier_with_integrated_output_power_detector
[14]	Chang H Y, Wang H, Yu M, et al. A 77-GHz MMIC power amplifier for automotive radar applications. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2003, 13(4):143 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2003.811059
[15]	Lai K T, Wu K L, Hu R, et al. 77 GHz power amplifier design using WIN 0.1μm GaAs pHEMT process. General Assembly and Scientific Symposium (URSI GASS), 2014:1
[16]	Bessemoulin A, Rodriguez M, Tarazi J, et al. Compact W-band PA MMICs in commercially available 0.1-μm GaAs PHEMT process. IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symposium (CSICS), 2015:1

Fig. 1. (a) The unit current gain ( $H_{21}$ ) and small signal power gain (MSG/MAG) of the 0.1 μm GaAs pHEMT at drain voltage of 3 V, (b) I-V curves of GaAs PHEMT with width of 4 × 25 μm.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of the each stage unit.

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Fig. 3. Microphotograph of the four-stage MMIC power amplifier with a chip size of 4.2 × 1.5 mm².

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Fig. 4. Measured small signal gain and input/output return loss from 75 to 100 GHz for the power amplifier MMIC on wafer at the bias of $V_{\rm ds}=$ 3 V, $I_{\rm DS}=$ 126 mA.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 5. Photograph of the packaged power amplifier module.

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Fig. 6. Through line insertion loss of the test fixture with two microstrip-line to antipodal finline waveguide transitions back to back.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Fig. 7. Saturation power performance versus frequency for the PA MMIC at a constant input power of 9 dBm at $V_{\rm ds}=$ 4 V.

DownLoad: Full-Size Img PowerPoint

Table 1. Comparison of previously published V-(70 GHz) to W-band single ended GaAs PA MMIC and this work.

PHEMT MMIC technology	C_{HIP SIZE}(MM²)	F_REQUENCY(GHz)	Output total gate periphery (μm)	P_sat (dBm)	Output power density(mW/mm)
4-mil 0.15-μm^[4]	1.85×1.4	71-80	400	18.8	190
2-mil 0.1-μm^[9]	2.3×1.2	75-110	320	15	106
4-mil 0.13-μm^[11]	2.0×1.0	76.5	240	15	132
2-mil 0.1-μm^[12]	2.6×0.84	72-95	640	21	203
2-mil 0.1-μm^[13]	2.5×0.85	75-90	200	20	500
4-mil 0.1-μm^[14]	3.0×2.0	77-78	640	21.5	219
2-mil 0.1-μm^[15]	2.5×1.0	77	400	8.6	18
2-mil 0.1-μm^[16]	1.8×1.95	80-100	800	24.5	350
2-mil 0.1-μm	4.2×1.5	77-100	100	>14.2	>260 470
(this work)		77 - 92		16.7

DownLoad: CSV

[1]	Huang P P, Huang T W, Wang H, et al. A 94-GHz 0.35-W power amplifier module. IEEE Trans Microw Theory Tech, 1997, 45(12):2418 doi: 10.1109/22.643854
[2]	Herrick K J, Lardizabal S M, Marsh P F, et al. 95 GHz metamorphic HEMT power amplifiers on GaAs. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2003, 1:137
[3]	Chiu H C, Ke B Y. High performance V-band GaAs power amplifier and low noise amplifier using low-loss transmission line technology. International High Speed Intelligent Communication Forum (HSIC), 2012:1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254036686_High_performance_V-band_GaAs_power_amplifier_and_low_noise_amplifier_using_low-loss_transmission_line_technology
[4]	Tsai Z M, Lin K Y, Wang H. A 71-80 GHz medium power amplifier using 4-mil 0.15-μm GaAs-PHEMT technology. AsiaPacific Microwave Conference Proceedings (APMC), 2011:1130
[5]	Yang X, Yang H, Zhang H Y, et al. A monolithic 60 GHz balanced low noise amplifier. J Semicond, 2015, 36(4):045003 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/4/045003
[6]	Mu L F, Zhang W D, He C D, et al. Design and test of a capacitance detection circuit based on a transimpedance amplifier. J Semicond, 2015, 36(7):075007 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/7/075007
[7]	Zhao H, Yao H F, Ding P, et al. A full W-band low noise amplifier module for millimeter-wave applications. J Semicond, 2015, 36(9):095001 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/36/9/095001
[8]	Jin J, Shi J, Ai B L, et al. A highly linear power amplifier for WLAN. J Semicond, 2016, 37(2):025006 doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/37/2/025006
[9]	Leong Y C, Weinreb S. Full W-band MMIC medium power amplifier. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2000, 2:951
[10]	Abbasi M, Zirath H, Angelov I. Q-, V-, and W-band power amplifiers utilizing coupled lines for impedance matching. IEEE MTTS International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2008:863 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4375488_Q-_V-_and_W-band_power_amplifiers_utilizing_coupled_lines_for_impedance_matching
[11]	Siweris H J, Werthof A, Tischer H, et al. A mixed Si and GaAs chip set for millimeter-wave automotive radar front-ends. In Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) Symposium, Digest of Papers, 2000:191 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3854431_A_mixed_Si_and_GaAs_chip_set_for_millimeter-wave_automotive_radar_front-ends?_sg=KCyWzz1feb-fr0Av_D2_9jO2U4ErtRIv9OYJ31M9fsignInp7LkGqbxVsHwYnA-xOaMa9tCLhrmhuJVlBXru_g
[12]	Morgan M, Weinreb S. A W-band monolithic medium power amplifier. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2003, 1:133 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew_Morgan8/publication/4022212_A_W-band_monolithic_medium_power_amplifier/links/54d145f40cf28959aa7ac74c.pdf
[13]	Canales F D, Abbasi M. A 75-90 GHz high linearity MMIC power amplifier with integrated output power detector. IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2013:1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261108691_A_75-90_GHz_high_linearity_MMIC_power_amplifier_with_integrated_output_power_detector
[14]	Chang H Y, Wang H, Yu M, et al. A 77-GHz MMIC power amplifier for automotive radar applications. IEEE Microw Wireless Compon Lett, 2003, 13(4):143 doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2003.811059
[15]	Lai K T, Wu K L, Hu R, et al. 77 GHz power amplifier design using WIN 0.1μm GaAs pHEMT process. General Assembly and Scientific Symposium (URSI GASS), 2014:1
[16]	Bessemoulin A, Rodriguez M, Tarazi J, et al. Compact W-band PA MMICs in commercially available 0.1-μm GaAs PHEMT process. IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symposium (CSICS), 2015:1

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Received: 23 July 2016 Revised: 22 September 2016 Online: Published: 01 March 2017

A wideband MMIC power amplifier at W-band is reported in this letter. The four-stage MMIC, developed using 0.1 μm GaAs pseudomorphic HEMT (PHEMT) technology, demonstrated a flat small signal gain of 12.4±2 dB with a minimum saturated output power (Psat) of 14.2 dBm from 77 to 100 GHz. The typical Psat is better by 16.3 dBm with a flatness of 0.4 dB and the maximum power added efficiency is 6% between 77 and 92 GHz. This result shows that the amplifier delivers output power density of about 470 mW/mm with a total gate output periphery of 100 μm. As far as we know, it is nearly the best power density performance ever published from a single ended GaAs-based PHEMT MMIC at this frequency band.

A 77-100 GHz power amplifier using 0.1-μm GaAs PHEMT technology

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