V-Band Power Amplifier MMIC with Excellent Gain-Flatness

광대역의 우수한 이득평탄도를 갖는 V-밴드 전력증폭기 MMIC

In this paper, we introduce the design and fabrication of V-band power amplifier MMIC with excellent gain-flatness for IEEE 802.15.3c WPAN system. The V-band power amplifier was designed using ETRI' $0.12{\mu}m$ PHEMT process. The PHEMT shows a peak transconductance ($G_{m,peak}$) of 500 mS/mm, a threshold voltage of -1.2 V, and a drain saturation current of 49 mA for 2 fingers and $100{\mu}m$ total gate width (2f100) at $V_{ds}$=2 V. The RF characteristics of the PHEMT show a cutoff frequency, $f_T$, of 97 GHz, and a maximum oscillation frequency, $f_{max}$, of 166 GHz. The gains of the each stages of the amplifier were modified to have broadband characteristics of input/output matching for first and fourth stages and get more gains of edge regions of operating frequency range for second and third stages in order to make the gain-flatness of the amplifier excellently for wide band. The performances of the fabricated 60 GHz power amplifier MMIC are operating frequency of $56.25{\sim}62.25\;GHz$, bandwidth of 6 GHz, small signal gain ($S_{21}$) of $16.5{\sim}17.2\;dB$, gain flatness of 0.7 dB, an input reflection coefficient ($S_{11}$) of $-16{\sim}-9\;dB$, output reflection coefficient ($S_{22}$) of $-16{\sim}-4\;dB$ and output power ($P_{out}$) of 13 dBm. The chip size of the amplifier MMIC was $3.7{\times}1.4mm^2$.