High-Efficiency Extremely High-Frequency (EHF) Power Amplifiers

There is a need to better utilize the EHF band of frequencies including for battlefield, battlespace and mission specific uses. As reconnaissance and aerial surveillance capabilities continue to both grow and improve, increased bandwidth, high fidelity, high data rate communications are becoming essential. InnoSys, in conjunction with a major defense contractor, is developing and implementing high performance EHF power amplifiers (PAs) using 3-D microfabrication techniques and technologies that are rugged, compact, small in size, lightweight, designed to require less than 25 watts prime power and can be produced in large quantities at low cost. These 3-D EHF PAs will have 2 to 5 watts of output RF power with linearity sufficient to support a variety of modulation modes over an operating temperature range from at least -40 to +80 °C. These EHF PAs are also highly radiation insensitive, can survive single event latchups and can have gains of up to 25 dB. These EHF PAs have been specifically designed for SATCOM and high data rate communications applications. The 3-D microfabrication and 3-D microstructures approach developed in this SBIR program is applicable to power amplifiers from below 20 GHz to over 100 GHz.