Design and characterization of a 50 GHz InP/InGaAs HBT amplifier

The design and a complete small-signal, noise and linearity characterization ion of a direct-coupled, lumped broadband amplifier utilizing InP/InGaAs single heterojunction bipolar transistors (SHBT) was carried out. A -3 dB-bandwidth of 50 GHz with a DC-gain of 9.8 dB and a gain-peaking of only 1.2 dB were achieved. The noise figure is 7.5 dB over a large frequency range. In the frequency range from 2 to 50 GHz, the third-order intercept point and 1 dB compression point at the output have values from 17 to 10 dBm and 3 to 0 dBm, respectively.