DOI: 10.1109/TMTT.2024.3383861   IEEEXplore: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10497178    

220-GHz 3-Stage Power Amplifier with 78 mW Pout and 18.4% PAE in 250-nm InP HBT Technology with fmax of 750 GHz

220 GHz

Architecture is a 3-stage amplifier with a 4-cell HBT final stage. Each stage is a capacitively degenerated common base amplifier, and each transistor has 4 x 5 µm long emitter fingers. Separate base biasing resistors for each cell achieves an optimum bias point for each transistor, increases the safe operating area (SOA) and consequently improves the power-added efficiency (PAE). The PA achieves the highest combination of PAE and output power amongst the PAs operating above 200-GHz..

Short-range high data rate terrestrial wireless communications, airborne and satellite communications, synthetic aperture radar, and imaging systems for concealed weapons detection.

212-238 GHz 3dB bandwidth 13.5 dB gain, 18.8 dBm Pout (78 mW), 18.4% PAE at 221.5 GHz