An InP HEMT MMIC LNA with 7.2-dB gain at 190 GHz

We present the highest frequency performance of any solid-state monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifier. A 2-stage 80-nm gate length InGaAs/InAlAs/InP HEMT MMIC balanced amplifier has a measured on-wafer peak gain of 7.2 dB at 190 GHz and greater than 5 dB gain from 170 to 194 GHz. The circuit was fabricated using a pseudomorphic 20-nm In/sub 0.65/Ga/sub 0.35/As channel HEMT structure grown on a 3-in InP substrate by MBE. Based on the measured circuit results, the intrinsic exhibits an F/sub max/ greater than 400 GHz.