Demonstration of 300-nm InP/GaInAsSb DHBT MMIC Technology in a 60-160GHz Ultra-Broadband Amplifier Test Vehicle

We demonstrate an InP/GaInAsSb DHBT MMIC technology with a 300-nm emitter size. As a test vehicle, ultra-broadband 60–160 GHz amplifiers were fabricated and characterized. The transistors rely on a 20-nm-thick compositionally- and dopant-graded quaternary GaInAsSb base layer which leads to high breakdown-voltage BV
CEO

$(> 5.3\ \mathrm{V})$
and high cut-off frequencies
$(f_{\mathrm{T}} > 520 \ \text{and}f_{\text{MAX}} > 700\ \text{GHz})$
. This base design enables higher DC-biasing points as well as higher RF output power levels, making quaternary-based DHBTs well-suited for mm- and sub-mm-wave amplification. One-stage and two-stage amplifiers were designed and fabricated. The small-signal RF gain of the one- and two-stage amplifiers are
$> 7$
and
$> 13$
dB up to 110 GHz, and
$> 7$
and
$> 9$
dB up to 160 GHz. The one- and two-stage amplifiers deliver 8 and 10 dBm POUT at 94 GHz with a DC power consumption of only 34 and 90 m
$W$
, respectively.