A W-band low-noise amplifier with 22K noise temperature

A W-band MMIC low-noise amplifier (LNA) was designed and fabricated using NGST's 35nm InP HEMT process. It was packaged in a WR-12 module and tested at 297K and 17.5K ambient temperatures. At room temperature, the WR-12 LNA module has 26–30 dB gain from 70 to 92 GHz and less than 300K noise temperature from 65–86 GHz. At 17.5K ambient temperature, the WR-12 LNA module has a minimum noise temperature of 22K at 85 GHz and less than 40K noise temperature from 70–96 GHz (below 30K noise temperature from 78–95 GHz). Gain at 17.5K is 27–31 dB from 70 to 94 GHz. Power dissipation cold is 2.1 mW. Analysis is also included to investigate the observed frequency shift with ambient temperature. It is believed that these are the lowest noise temperature measured for a packaged W-band amplifier at both room and cryogenic temperatures.