A 0.1–52-GHz Triple Cascode Amplifier With Resistive Feedback

In this letter, a 0.1-52-GHz amplifier is designed and fabricated using a 0.15-μm E-mode GaAs pseudomorphic high electron-mobility transistor (pHEMT) process. To extend the gain bandwidth, a triple cascode amplifier with resistive feedback is employed. Moreover, by introducing several inductors between the transistors, the gain flatness and the noise figure are significantly enhanced. The measurement results indicate that the designed amplifier shows a 20.5-dB average gain, 3.9-6.2-dB noise figure, 5-12-dBm OP
₁
dB, and 14-22.5-dBm OIP3 in the frequency range from 0.1 to 52 GHz, respectively. The fabricated amplifier occupies a chip area of 1.6 mm × 0.89 mm including the testing pads.