A Novel 1x4 Coupler for Compact and High-Gain Power Amplifier MMICs Around 250 GHz
A Novel 1x4 Coupler for Compact and High-Gain Power Amplifier MMICs Around 250 GHz
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适用于 250 GHz 左右紧凑型高增益功率放大器 MMIC 的新型 1x4 耦合器
DOI：
10.1109/tmtt.2015.2396492
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发表时间：
2015
影响因子：
4.3
通讯作者：
and I. Kallfass
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
S. Diebold;S. Wagner;H. Massler;P. Pahl;A. Leuther;A. Tessmann;T. Zwick;and I. Kallfass
针对在 250 GHz 左右频率范围内工作的雷达和通信系统的应用，开发了功率放大器 (PA) 毫米波单片集成电路 (MMIC)。该放大器采用新颖的耦合器方法，允许将输入信号同相和等幅分布到四个并行输出端口。这是可能的，因为巧妙地使用了接地共面波导和空气桥微带传输线，提供了不同的传播常数。该耦合器的尺寸为四分之一波长，非常紧凑，是所提出的 PA 拓扑的关键。放大器利用由于晶体管偏置和匹配的相同信号而产生的虚拟开路。该放大器拓扑用于开发放大器 MMIC。当偏置为最大增益时，它在 248 GHz 的中心频率周围显示出 17 GHz 3 dB 带宽，最大增益为 32.8 dB。当偏置为最大输出功率时，它在 250 GHz 和 270 GHz 下分别提供 10 dBm 和 8.5 dBm 的输出功率。在 250 GHz 时，它展示了 125 mW/mm 的最先进功率密度。由于放大器拓扑结构，MMIC 非常紧凑 (1.25×0.75 mm2)。
For application in radar and communication systems operating in the frequency range around 250 GHz, a power amplifier (PA) millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) has been developed. The amplifier makes use of a novel coupler approach allowing for in-phase and equal-magnitude distribution of an incoming signal to four parallel output ports. This is possible due to a subtle use of grounded coplanar waveguide and air-bridge microstrip transmission lines, providing different propagation constants. With a size of quarter-wavelength, the coupler is very compact and is the key to the presented PA topology. The amplifier exploits the virtual open occurring due to the identical signals for transistor biasing and matching. The amplifier topology is applied to develop an amplifier MMIC. When biased for maximum gain, it shows a 17-GHz 3-dB bandwidth around its center frequency at 248 GHz with a maximum gain of 32.8 dB. When biased for maximum output power, it provides an output power of 10 and 8.5 dBm at 250 and 270 GHz, respectively. At 250 GHz, it demonstrates a state-of-the-art power density of 125 mW/mm. Due to the amplifier topology, the MMIC is very compact (1.25×0.75 mm2).