Plastic packaged E-mode transistors to 50 GHz with integrated ESD protection and bias control

Discrete transistors are still used extensively in many custom applications. The price-to-performance ratio is advantageous when a custom MMIC is not warranted. This paper details a new generation of DC-50 GHz enhancement mode, 0.15μm gate, plastic package, PHEMT devices. These not only provide superior performance of 15dB gain and 0.7dB NF at 20 GHz, but integrate both DC gate bias control with power down and ESD protection to 500V.