E-band medium power amplifiers with gain control and output power detector

Two E-band MPA (71 to 76 GHz and 81 to 86 GHz), particularly well suited for the new generation of high capacity backhaul have been developed. The circuits have been manufactured on UMS 4 inch 100 nm GaAs pHEMT technology. Additional functions as gain control and output power detection have been implemented. Mechanical protection of the dies is ensured by a BCB coating. The design of the circuits has been also optimized as regards ESD sensitivity and external interconnections. A short description of the technology, the MMIC design methodology and the electrical results obtained on wafer and in millimetre-wave test fixture are presented in this paper. A linear gain above 14dB, with more than 10dB control, and an output power higher than 19dBm have been obtained in the two sub-bands.