Metamorphic HEMT Amplifier Circuits for Use in a High Resolution 210 GHz Radar

• Published in: 2007 IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Symposium pp. 1 - 4
• Main Authors: Tessmann, A., Leuther, A., Massler, H., Kuri, M., Riessle, M., Zink, M., Sommer, R., Wahlen, A., Essen, H.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: IEEE 01-10-2007
• Subjects: Circuits; HEMTs; High power amplifiers; Indium compounds; Low-noise amplifiers; mHEMTs; Millimeter wave technology; MMICs; MODFETs; Radar
• ISBN: 1424410223; 9781424410224
• ISSN: 1550-8781; 2374-8443
• DOI: 10.1109/CSICS07.2007.57

In this paper, we present the development of a W-band power amplifier (PA) circuit and a G-band low-noise amplifier (LNA) MMIC for use in a high-resolution radar system operating at 210 GHz. The power amplifier circuit has been realized using a 0.1 um InAlAs/InGaAs based depletion-type metamorphic high electron mobility transistor (MHEMT) technology in combination with grounded coplanar circuit topology and cascode transistors, thus leading to a small-signal gain of 12 dB and a saturated output power of 20.5 dBm at 105 GHz. The low-noise amplifier MMIC was fabricated using an advanced 0.05 mum MHEMT technology and achieved a small-signal gain of more than 16 dB over the frequency band from 180 to 220 GHz together with a state-of-the-art room temperature noise figure of only 4.8 dB. Both amplifier circuits were successfully packaged into millimeter-wave waveguide modules and used to realize a 210 GHz radar, which delivers an instantaneous bandwidth of 8 GHz and an outstanding spatial resolution of 1.8 cm.