50 - 500 GHz Wireless: Transistors, ICs, and System Design

Conference: GeMiC 2014 - German Microwave Conference
03/10/2014 - 03/12/2014 at Aachen, Germany

Proceedings: GeMiC 2014

Pages: 4Language: englishTyp: PDF

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Authors:
Rodwell, M. J. W. (Department of Electrical Engineering University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, USA)

Abstract:
50–500 GHz phased-array transmitters and receivers have high available bandwidth, can support multiple independent spatial transmission channels, but suffer from extremely high worst-case foul-weather attenuation. Link analysis suggests that several useful systems can be realizing using power amplifiers with ~50-200 mW output power, low-noise amplifiers with ~4-7 dB noise figure, and arrays of ~64-128 elements. Such systems can be realized with Si VLSI beamformers, InP HEMT low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), and InP HBT or GaN HEMT power amplifiers (PAs). Scaling analysis of present InP HBTs and HEMTs suggests that their power-gain cutoff frequencies can be extended from the present ~1.2-1.4 THz to at least 2-3 THz, thereby supporting high-performance PAs and LNAs for such systems even at 500 GHz.