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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

Development of Submillimeter SIS Mixers and Broadband HEMT Amplifiers

This is the final technical report for NASA grant NAG5-9493. entitled "Development of Submillimeter SIS Mixers and Broadband HEMT Amplifiers". The goal of this project was to develop and demonstrate a new generation of superconducting tunnel junction (SIS) receivers with extremely wide instantaneous (intermediate-frequency, or IF) bandwidths. of order 12 GHz. along with the wideband low-noise microwave HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) amplifiers which follow the SIS mixer. These wideband SIS/HEMT receivers would allow rapid submillimeter wavelength spectral line surveys to be carried out, for instance with the NASA airborne observatory SOFIA. and could potentially be useful for future submillimeter space missions such as SAFIR. In addition, there are potential NASA earth science applications. such as the monitoring of the distribution of chemical species in the stratosphere and troposphere using the limb-sounding technique. The overall goals of this project have been achieved: a broadband 200-300 SIS receiver was designed and constructed, and was demonstrated in the field through a test run at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on Mauna Kea. HI. The technical details are described in the appendices. which are primarily conference publications. but Appendix A also includes an unpublished summary of the latest results. The work on the SIS mixer design are described in the conference publications (appendices B and C). The "Supermix" software package that was developed at Caltech and used for the SIS design is also described in two conference papers, but has been substantially revised, debugged. and extended as part of the work completed for this grant. The Supermix package is made available to the community at no charge. The electromagnetic design of a radial waveguide probe similar to the one used in this work is described in a journal publication. Details of the novel fabrication procedure used for producing the SIS devices at JPL are also given in an upcoming journal article. Finally, details on the wideband HEMT amplifier design and noise characterization techniques are described in two publications.

Zmuidzinas, J.↗
NASA NTRS1985

HEMT 60 GHz amplifier

A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) amplifier has been fabricated which exhibits 7.5 dB gain at 61 GHz. This result was obtained with a quarter-micrometre gate-length depletion-mode HEMT. Reduction of source-gate resistance and gate length are primarily responsible for this performance. The letter describes the materials and device processing technology developed for fabricating these devices.

Berenz, J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

A 2.3-GHz cryogenically cooled HEMT amplifier for DSS 13

A prototype 2.3 GHz (S band) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) amplifier/closed cycle refrigerator (CCR) system was installed in the DDS-13 feedcone, replacing the 2.3 GHz maser. The amplifier is cryogenically cooled to a physical temperature of 12 K and provides 31.5 K antenna system noise temperature and 29 dB of gain. The HEMT device used in the amplifier is a prototype.

Tanida, L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

An 8.4-GHz cryogenically cooled HEMT amplifier for DSS 13

A prototype 8.4 GHz (X-band) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) amplifier/closed cycle refrigerator system was installed in the Deep Space Station 13 feedcone in August 1987. The amplifier is cryogenically cooled to a physical temperature of 12 K and provides 31 K antenna noise temperature (zenith) and 35 dB of gain at a frequency of 8.2 to 8.6 GHz. Antenna system noise temperature is less than 50 K from 7.2 to 9.4 MHz. The low noise HEMT amplifier system is intended for use as a radio astronomy or space communications receiver front end.

Tanida, L.↗
NASA NTRS1988

On 32-GHz cryogenically cooled HEMT low-noise amplifiers

The cryogenic noise temperature performance of a two-stage and a three-stage 32 GHz High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) amplifier was evaluated. The amplifiers employ 0.25 micrometer conventional AlGaAs/GaAs HEMT devices, hybrid matching input and output microstrip circuits, and a cryogenically stable dc biasing network. The noise temperature measurements were performed in the frequency range of 31 to 33 GHz over a physical temperature range of 300 K down to 12 K. Across the measurement band, the amplifiers displayed a broadband response, and the noise temperature was observed to decrease by a factor of 10 in cooling from 300 K to 15 K. The lowest noise temperature measured for the two-stage amplifier at 32 GHz was 35 K with an associated gain of 16.5 dB, while the three-stage amplifier measured 39 K with an associated gain of 26 dB. It was further observed that both amplifiers were insensitive to light.

Bautista, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

32-GHz cryogenically cooled HEMT low-noise amplifiers

The cryogenic noise temperature performance of a two-stage and a three-stage 32 GHz high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) amplifier was evaluated. The amplifiers employ 0.25 micrometer conventional AlGaAs/GaAs HEMT devices, hybrid matching input and output microstrip circuits, and a cryogenically stable dc biasing network. The noise temperature measurements were performed in the frequency range of 31 to 33 GHz over a physical temperature range of 300 K down to 12 K. Across the measurement band, the amplifiers displayed a broadband response, and the noise temperature was observed to decrease by a factor of 10 in cooling from 300 to 15 K. The lowest noise temperature measured for the two-stage amplifier at 32 GHz was 35 K with an associated gain of 16.5 dB, while the three-stage amplifier measured 39 K with an associated gain of 26 dB. It was further observed that both amplifiers were insensitive to light.

Duh, K. H. George↗
NASA NTRS1991

A cooled 1- to 2-GHz balanced HEMT amplifier

The design details and measurement results for a cooled L-band (1 to 2 GHz) balanced high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) amplifier are presented. The amplifier uses commercially available packaged HEMT devices (Fujitsu FHR02FH). At a physical temperature of 12 K, the amplifier achieves noise temperatures between 3 and 6 K over the 1 to 2 GHz band. The associated gain is approximately 20 dB.

G. G. Ortiz↗
NASA NTRS1992

Cooled Low-Noise HEMT Microwave Amplifiers

Prototype cooled low-noise microwave amplifiers based on high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMT's) considered as replacements for cooled ruby masers used as low-noise receiver-front-end amplifiers in communications, radio science, radar systems, radio astronomy, and telemetry. HEMT amplifier operates at 12 K, requires less cooling power and operates at lower cost with simpler, more-reliable cooling system.

Bautista, J. Javier↗
NASA NTRS1992

Noise-optimal control of HEMT LNA's for compensation of temperature deviations

Noise-optimal control of high-electron mobility transistor low noise amplifier (HEMT LNA) bias voltage and current values was achieved at room temperature. The performance metric maximized was the amplifier gain divided by the amplifier input noise temperature, G/T(sub e). Additionally, the feasibility of automating the initial determination of bias settings was demonstrated in the laboratory. Simulation models of an HEMT were developed from available measurement data, installed on a Sun SPARC 1 workstation, and used in investigating several optimization algorithms. Simple tracking-type algorithms, which follow changes in optimum settings if started at or near the global optimum point, produced the best performance. Implementation of the optimization algorithms was performed using a three-stage Field Effect Transistor (FET) LNA and an existing test apparatus. Software was written to control the bias settings of the first stage of the LNA and to perform noise and gain measurements by using the test apparatus. The optimization control was then integrated with existing test software to create a master test and optimization program for test apparatus use.

Maccarley, C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

An evaluation of HEMT potential for millimeter-wave signal sources using interpolation and harmonic balance techniques

A large-signal analysis method based on an harmonic balance technique and a 2-D cubic spline interpolation function has been developed and applied to the prediction of InP-based HEMT oscillator performance for frequencies extending up to the submillimeter-wave range. The large-signal analysis method uses a limited number of DC and small-signal S-parameter data and allows the accurate characterization of HEMT large-signal behavior. The method has been validated experimentally using load-pull measurement. Oscillation frequency, power performance, and load requirements are discussed, with an operation capability of 300 GHz predicted using state-of-the-art devices (fmax is approximately equal to 450 GHz).

Kwon, Youngwoo↗
NASA NTRS1993

Experimental characteristics and performance analysis of monolithic InP-based HEMT mixers at W-band

Experimental characteristics of monolithic InAlAs/InGaAs HEMT mixers are presented together with a theoretical analysis. Experiments at W-band show a maximum conversion gain of 0.9 dB with 2 dBm of LO power level. This is the first demonstration of a monolithic HEMT mixer with conversion gain at W-band. The conversion gain dependence on LO power, RF frequency and gate bias is measured and compared with the theoretical predictions. Good agreement between the theory and experiment could be found.

Kwon, Youngwoo↗
NASA NTRS1995

155- and 213-GHz AlInAs/GaInAs/InP HEMT MMIC oscillators

We report on the design and measurement of monolithic 155- and 213-GHz quasi-optical oscillators using AlInAs/GaInAs/InP HEMTs (high-electron mobility transistors). These results are believed to be the highest frequency three-terminal oscillators reported to date. The indium concentration in the channel was 80% for high sheet charge and mobility. The HEMT gates were fabricated with self-aligned sub-tenth-micrometer electron-beam techniques to achieve gate lengths on the order of 50 nm and drain-source spacing of 0.25 micron. Planar antennas were integrated into the fabrication process resulting in a compact and efficient quasi-optical Monolithic Millimeter-wave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) oscillator.

TRT-EXPERIMENTAL↗
NASA NTRS2003

Basic Equations for the Modeling of Gallium Nitride (gan) High Electron Mobility Transistors (hemts)

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a most promising wide band-gap semiconductor for use in high-power microwave devices. It has functioned at 320 C, and higher values are well within theoretical limits. By combining four devices, 20 W has been developed at X-band. GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) are unique in that the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is supported not by intentional doping, but instead by polarization charge developed at the interface between the bulk GaN region and the AlGaN epitaxial layer. The polarization charge is composed of two parts: spontaneous and piezoelectric. This behavior is unlike other semiconductors, and for that reason, no commercially available modeling software exists. The theme of this document is to develop a self-consistent approach to developing the pertinent equations to be solved. A Space Act Agreement, "Effects in AlGaN/GaN HEMT Semiconductors" with Silvaco Data Systems to implement this approach into their existing software for III-V semiconductors, is in place (summer of 2002).

Freeman, Jon C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Channel Temperature Model for Microwave AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on SiC and Sapphire MMICs in High Power, High Efficiency SSPAs

A key parameter in the design trade-offs made during AlGaN/GaN HEMTs development for microwave power amplifiers is the channel temperature. An accurate determination can, in general, only be found using detailed software; however, a quick estimate is always helpful, as it speeds up the design cycle. This paper gives a simple technique to estimate the channel temperature of a generic microwave AlGaN/GaN HEMT on SiC or Sapphire, while incorporating the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity. The procedure is validated by comparing its predictions with the experimentally measured temperatures in microwave devices presented in three recently published articles. The model predicts the temperature to within 5 to 10 percent of the true average channel temperature. The calculation strategy is extended to determine device temperature in power combining MMICs for solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs).

Freeman, Jon C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Ultra-Low Noise HEMT Device Models: Application of On-Wafer Cryogenic Noise Analysis and Improved Parameter Extraction Techniques

Significant advances in the development of HEMT technology have resulted in high performance cryogenic low noise amplifiers whose noise temperatures are within an order of magnitude of the quantum noise limit. Key to the identification of optimum HEMT structures at cryogenic temperatures is the development of on-wafer noise and device parameter extraction techniques. Techniques and results are described.

electronic materials↗
NASA NTRS2008

HEMT Amplifiers and Equipment for their On-Wafer Testing

Power amplifiers comprising InP-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) in coplanar-waveguide (CPW) circuits designed for operation at frequencies of hundreds of gigahertz, and a test set for onwafer measurement of their power levels have been developed. These amplifiers utilize an advanced 35-nm HEMT monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) technology and have potential utility as local-oscillator drivers and power sources in future submillimeter-wavelength heterodyne receivers and imaging systems. The test set can reduce development time by enabling rapid output power characterization, not only of these and similar amplifiers, but also of other coplanar-waveguide power circuits, without the necessity of packaging the circuits.

Fung, King man↗
NASA NTRS2009

Differential InP HEMT MMIC Amplifiers Embedded in Waveguides

Monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) amplifiers of a type now being developed for operation at frequencies of hundreds of gigahertz contain InP high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) in a differential configuration. The differential configuration makes it possible to obtain gains greater than those of amplifiers having the single-ended configuration. To reduce losses associated with packaging, the MMIC chips are designed integrally with, and embedded in, waveguide packages, with the additional benefit that the packages are compact enough to fit into phased transmitting and/or receiving antenna arrays. Differential configurations (which are inherently balanced) have been used to extend the upper limits of operating frequencies of complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) amplifiers to the microwave range but, until now, have not been applied in millimeter- wave amplifier circuits. Baluns have traditionally been used to transform from single-ended to balanced configurations, but baluns tend to be lossy. Instead of baluns, finlines are used to effect this transformation in the present line of development. Finlines have been used extensively to drive millimeter- wave mixers in balanced configurations. In the present extension of the finline balancing concept, finline transitions are integrated onto the affected MMICs (see figure). The differential configuration creates a virtual ground within each pair of InP HEMT gate fingers, eliminating the need for inductive vias to ground. Elimination of these vias greatly reduces parasitic components of current and the associated losses within an amplifier, thereby enabling more nearly complete utilization of the full performance of each transistor. The differential configuration offers the additional benefit of multiplying (relative to the single-ended configuration) the input and output impedances of each transistor by a factor of four, so that it is possible to use large transistors that would otherwise have prohibitively low impedances. Yet another advantage afforded by the virtual ground of the differential configuration is elimination of the need for a ground plane and, hence, elimination of the need for back-side metallization of the MMIC chip. In turn, elimination of the back-side metallization simplifies fabrication, reduces parasitic capacitances, and enables mounting of the MMIC in the electric-field plane ("E-plane") of a waveguide. E-plane mounting is consistent with (and essential for the utility of) the finline configuration, in which transmission lines lie on a dielectric sheet in the middle of a broad side of the waveguide. E-plane mounting offers a combination of low loss and ease of assembly because no millimeter-wave wire bonds or transition substrates are required. Moreover, because there is no ground plane behind the MMIC, the impedance for the detrimental even (single-ended) mode is high, suppressing coupling to that mode. Still another advantage of E-plane mounting is that the fundamental waveguide mode is inherently differential, eliminating the need for a balun to excite the differential mode.

Kangaslahti, Pekka↗
NASA NTRS2003

120-GHz HEMT Oscillator With Surface-Wave-Assisted Antenna

Two monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) have been designed and built to function together as a source of electromagnetic radiation at a frequency of 120 GHz. One of the MMICs is an oscillator and is the highest-power 120-GHz oscillator reported thus far in the literature. The other MMIC is an end-fire antenna that radiates the oscillator signal. Although these MMICs were constructed as separate units and electrically connected with wire bonds, future oscillator/ antenna combinations could readily be fabricated as monolithic integrated units. Such units could be used as relatively high-power solid-state microwave sources in diverse applications that include automotive radar, imaging, scientific instrumentation, communications, and radio astronomy. As such, these units would be attractive alternatives to vacuum-tube oscillators, which are still used to obtain acceptably high power in the frequency range of interest. The oscillator (see figure) includes a high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT), with gate-periphery dimensions of 4 by 37 m, in a common-source configuration. The series feedback element of the oscillator is a grounded coplanar waveguide (CPW) at the source. The HEMT is biased for class-A operation (meaning that current is conducted throughout the oscillation cycle) to maximize the output power of the oscillator. Input and output impedance-matching circuit elements are designed to maximize output power and to establish the conditions needed for oscillation. The design of the antenna takes advantage of surface waves, which, heretofore, have been regarded as highly disadvantageous because they can leak power and degrade the performances of antennas that have not been designed to exploit them. Measures taken to suppress surface waves have included complex machining of circuit substrates and addition of separate substrates. These measures are difficult to implement in standard MMIC fabrication processes. In contrast, because the design of the present antenna eliminates the need to suppress surface waves, the fabrication of the antenna is fully compatible with standard MMIC fabrication processes.

Samoska, Lorene↗