DOI: 10.1109/TMTT.2025.3625590   IEEEXplore: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11226856

An analog-controlled input attenuation network (IAN) in a triple stack distributed amplifier (DA) implemented in InP HBT technology

4 - 240 GHz

The input attenuation network adjusts the bias condition of diode-connected transistors to change the attenuation constant of the input transmission line. This technique controls the contribution of each gain stage to the total amplifier gain.

Variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) in mm-wave and THz systems, multiband instruments, signal generators, phase shifters, and analog-to-digital converters

13 dB max gain, 8.9 dB to 4.7 dB gain control (GC) range across the GC bandwidth, 166 GHz GC bandwidth (4 – 170 GHz); 16 dBm Psat at max gain average across the GC bandwidth, 12 dBm OP1dB average across the GC bandwidth, 23 dBm OIP3 average up to 67 GHz; 2 dB RMS amplitude error / 10° RMS phase error across the GC bandwidth.