Low noise amplifier modules from 220–270 GHz

Author

Fung, Andy ; Reck, Theodore ; Varonen, Mikko ; Choonsup Lee ; Soria, Mary ; Chattopadhyay, Goutam ; Kangaslahti, Pekka ; Samoska, Lorene ; Sarkozy, Stephen ; Lai, Richard

Author_Institution

Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA

fYear

2013

fDate

6-8 Oct. 2013

Firstpage

224

Lastpage

227

Abstract

We present the design and performance of low noise amplifier modules in the WR3 frequency band (220-325 GHz). E-plane split waveguide blocks are used with 25 μm gallium arsenide membrane radial probes to couple signal into and out of 35 nm gate length indium phosphide monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifiers. Design, fabrication and testing of the probe transitions and amplifier modules are discussed. For a cascode amplifier module cryogenically cooled to 20 K, we measure a minimum noise temperature of 120 K at 258 GHz and noise temperatures less than 145 K between 234-268 GHz. To our knowledge, these results are the lowest LNA noise temperatures at these frequencies reported to date.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; MMIC amplifiers; cryogenic electronics; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; low noise amplifiers; millimetre wave amplifiers; modules; waveguide components; wide band gap semiconductors; E-plane split waveguide blocks; GaAs; InP; MMIC amplifiers; cascode amplifier module; frequency 220 GHz to 270 GHz; gallium arsenide membrane radial probes; indium phosphide monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit amplifiers; low noise amplifier modules; probe transitions; size 25 mum; size 35 nm; temperature 20 K; Frequency measurement; Indium phosphide; MMICs; Noise; Noise measurement; Probes; Temperature measurement; H-band; MMIC; WR3; amplifier; cascode; common source; gallium arsenide (GaAs); high electron mobility transistor (HEMT); indium phosphide (InP); microstrip-to-waveguide transition; noise;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), 2013 European

Conference_Location

Nuremberg

Type

conf

Filename

6687826