Small-signal modeling approach to 0.1-μm metamorphic HEMTs for W-band coplanar MMIC amplifier design

Sung Woon Moon, Byoung Chul Jun, Sung Ho Jung, Deok Soo Park, Jin Koo Rhee, Sam Dong Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present an accurate and reliable modeling method for designing the W-band (75-110 GHz) small-signal millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifiers with the GaAs-based 0.1-μm metamorphic high electron-mobility transistors (MHEMTs). For this, we propose an improved process control monitoring (PCM) pattern layout for the MHEMT modeling and a small-signal equivalent circuit model of 17 elements accounting for the feedback capacitance (Cpgd) and output conductance time delay (τds). The modeling technique adopts a gradient optimizer with the initial values of the extrinsic parameter set determined from the cold-FET measurement avoiding the forward gate-biasing in a frequency range of 0.5-65 GHz and the intrinsic parameter set obtained at an operating hot-FET condition in our W-band design frequency range. On the basis of the proposed small-signal equivalent circuit model, we design and fabricate 1- and 2-stage W-band MMIC amplifiers using the MHEMTs (30-μm gate width, 2 gate fingers) and a coplanar waveguide-based MMIC process. The measurements of the fabricated MMIC amplifiers show an excellent agreement with simulation data in the design frequency range.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)81-88
Number of pages8
JournalCurrent Applied Physics
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2012

Keywords

  • Coplanar MMIC
  • Metamorphic high electron-mobility transistor (MHEMT)
  • Process control monitoring (PCM)
  • Small-signal modeling
  • W-band amplifier

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