FETs and HEMTs at cryogenic temperatures-their properties and use in low-noise amplifiers

Typical DC characteristics and X-band noise parameters are presented and qualitatively correlated wherever possible with other technological or experimental data. While certain general trends can be identified, further work is needed to explain a number of observed phenomena. A design technique for cryogenically cooled amplifiers is briefly discussed, and examples of realization of L-band, C-band, X-band, and K-band amplifiers are described. The noise temperature of amplifiers with HEMTs in input stages is usually less than half of that for all-FET realizations, setting new records of performance for cryogenically cooled, multistage amplifiers.<
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