A 60 GHz-band low noise HJFET amplifier module for wireless LAN applications

Abstract

A 60 GHz-band low noise amplifier (LNA) module has been developed based on 0.15 /spl mu/m AlGaAs/InGaAs heterojunction FET(HJFET) technologies. A two-stage MMIC amplifier was designed and fabricated, which exhibited a noise figure less than 3 dB with a gain higher than 10 dB over 59.5 to 61.5 GHz range. For the module fabrication, two MMIC chips were mounted in a WR-15 waveguide housing. The four-stage amplifier module demonstrated a noise figure of 4 dB and a gain higher than 24 dB from 59 to 60 GHz. To our knowledge, this is the best reported noise figure including a microstrip-to-waveguide transition loss, using GaAs-based MMICs operating at this frequency range. The measured output power for the module at 1 dB gain compression point was 4 dBm. Temperature test from -20 to 70/spl deg/C revealed very small noise figure and gain variations of 0.35 dB and 0.62 dB, respectively.