Enhanced voltage silicon NFET-MESFET cascode amplifiers integrated on a 45nm SOI CMOS technology for RFIC applications: Topic/category: 3D and power technologies

Integrated n-channel MOSFET-MESFET cascode amplifiers have been fabricated using Global Foundries commercial 45nm SOI CMOS process. The cascode architecture combines the enhanced voltage operation of the MESFET (metal-semiconductor field-effect-transistor) with the high frequency capability of the scaled MOSFET. The resulting small-signal amplifiers demonstrate fT = 50GHz when operated with supply voltages of 6V, significantly higher than the nominal 1V breakdown voltage of the CMOS transistors.