A 15 to 45 GHZ Distributed Amplifier using 3 Fets of Varying Periphery

A 15 to 45 GHz GaAs MMIC distributed amplifier is described. The amplifier uses a unique configuration of three FETs of varying periphery. This configuration accommodates more FET periphery than a conventional distributed amplifier, resulting in higher gain and output power. A high yield 0.25 µm gate technology has been developed. A 15-45 GHz amplifier using 0.25 µm gates has been demonstrated. The amplifier is fully monolithic - all bias circuitry and terminations are contained on a .035" × .069" (0.89 mm x 1.75 mm) chip. 5 dB gain has been demonstrated for a single amplifier stage. Two extended bandwidth versions of the 3 FET amplifier of varying periphery were included in the same layout. 2 to 44 GHz and 15 to 50 GHz versions have both been demonstrated with 4 dB gain.