A High Survivability Low-Noise Amplifier for V-band Applications

Abstract

In this paper, we report a GaN-based low-noise amplifier (LNA) with high survivability targeting for V-band applications. This LNA was measured to deliver a small-signal gain of 23.5 dB and a noise figure (NF) of 3.3 dB at 60 GHz. The ruggedness of the LNA was investigated experimentally by injecting continuous wave (CW) signal at the input port with various power levels and durations. While stressing up to the input level of 25.1 dBm at 60 GHz for 16 hours, the LNA showed a 1.5-dB decrease in linear gain, and 0.3-dB increase in noise figure. The experimental results have demonstrated a great potential for the proposed LNA to be implemented in highly-reliable systems targeting for operation at V-band frequencies.