E-band balanced broadband driver amplifier MMIC with 1.8 THz gain-bandwidth product

This paper presents an E-band (60 - 90 GHz) balanced driver amplifier in a 50nm InGaAs-based metamorphic high electron mobility transistor technology. The amplifier is realized as a millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuit and is designed to drive a high power output stage in a multi-gigabit communication system. The three stage driver amplifier is balanced via 90° hybrid Lange couplers. To track the powerlevels, especially to fulfill regulated power density requirements, a detector was placed at the output of the amplifier. On-wafer measurements were performed and a maximum gain of 35 dB a t66 GHz could be achieved. Between 60 to 90GHz a gain greater than 30 dB could be measured which results in a gain-bandwidth product of 1.8 THz. With four parallel common source transistors in the output stage a maximum output power of 14.5dBm at 73.5 GHz could be reached.