SBIR-STTR Award

The Phase I effort will result in a low noise MMIC G-Band amplifier the covers the entire 165 to 193GHz frequency range. The amplifier will be designed using a 50nm MHEMT that has already been developed by BAE Systems that enables the state-of-the-art performance to be achieved. The innovative amplifier design will have a gain of 20dB, a noise figure of less than 6dB(~4dB, an input output VSWR of less than 2:1. In addition, the MHEMT has the added advantage of having lower noise power stability and 1/f noise than InP devices. A balanced amplifier is the primary approach while a single ended unit will be investigated for missions that require reduced bandwidths. The MMIC amplifier will be designed to be inserted into a waveguide housing for additional and environmental testing in a Phase II program. At completion of the Phase II program, the amplifier will be capable of being space qualified for NASA missions.

A broadband G-Band low noise amplifier has been designed using a 50nm MHEMT. The MHEMT model that was used for the design was measured. With the use of this model, a single ended MMIC low noise amplifier was designed using various analysis tools. The single ended amplifier had a midband gain of 27.0dB with a noise figure of 3.7dB, a significant advance in the state-of-the-art. A balanced amplifier was also designed under this contract. It consisted of a waveguide to microstrip transition, an input coupler, the balanced amplifier, an output coupler, and a microstrip to waveguide transition. The MMIC chip that consisted of the input and output coupler and balanced amplifier was 1.4mm long by 1.23mm wide. The simulated performance demonstrated a gain of 25.6dB with a noise figure of 4.4dB midband. Since the MMIC process that will be used is fully space qualified and has been used on NASA's ATMS program, the design at the conclusion of the Phase II program should be ready for a space system insertion. The design would only be changed to meet specific program objectives.