The voltage-dependent IP3 performance of a 35-GHz InAlAs/InGaAs-InP HBT amplifier

Author

Kobayashi, K.W. ; Oki, A.K. ; Cowles, J. ; Tran, L.T. ; Grossman, P.C. ; Block, T.R. ; Streit, D.C.

Author_Institution

Electron. Syst. & Technol. Div., TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA, USA

Volume

7

Issue

3

fYear

1997

fDate

3/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

66

Lastpage

68

Abstract

Here we report on the first IP3 results of a 35-GHz Ka-band amplifier based on InAlAs/InGaAs-InP heterofunction bipolar transistors (HBT´s). The amplifier combines four 1×10 μm² quad-emitter HBT devices for a total emitter area of 160 μm² to achieve a gain of 5 dB and an IP3 of 26.5 dBm at 35 GHz. IP3 was characterized over collector bias voltage and indicates that there is an optimum V/sub ce/, corresponding to a maximum IP3 to DC power ratio, which is related to the HBT nonlinear voltage-dependent collector-base capacitance. A maximum IP3-to-DC power linearity figure of merit (LFOM) of 4.1 is achieved at a total collector current of 48 mA and a low V/sub ce/ of 2.25 V, This LFOM is comparable to HEMT´s at these frequencies and is expected to improve with the maturity of InAlAs/InGaAs-InP HBT technology.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; MMIC amplifiers; aluminium compounds; bipolar MIMIC; gallium arsenide; heterojunction bipolar transistors; indium compounds; millimetre wave amplifiers; 2.25 V; 35 GHz; 48 mA; 5 dB; EHF; InAlAs-InGaAs-InP; InAlAs/InGaAs-InP HBT amplifier; Ka-band amplifier; MM-wave amplifier; collector bias voltage; heterofunction bipolar transistors; quad-emitter HBT devices; voltage-dependent IP3 performance; Capacitance; Frequency; Gallium arsenide; Heterojunction bipolar transistors; Indium compounds; Linearity; Millimeter wave technology; Millimeter wave transistors; P-i-n diodes; Voltage;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave and Guided Wave Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1051-8207

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/75.556034

Filename

556034