Q/V/W-band High Powered Amplifiers

This proposal describes the impetus towards the development of low cost and high performance SiGe (Silicon Germanium) based millimeter wave power amplifier ICs for phased array transmit applications. We have developed innovative millimeter wave power amplifiers designs in Phase I for Q-band and in Phase II, we will fabricate, test, and productize these designs in a low cost commercial SiGe HBT (heterojunction bipoloar) IC process. Development of millimeter-wave IC components has traditionally proven to be a costly exercise of exotic semiconductor process development and optimization, without much emphasis on innovative circuit design techniques. This has resulted in development of costly compound semiconductor power processes with low manufacturability and yield, and in turned, eliminated the commercial viability of millimeter-wave ICs, most specifically power amplifier ICs. Currently, the cost of millimeter-wave components is one of the major hurdles in the deployment of millimeter-wave commercial communications systems, military radar, and electronic warfare systems. Therefore, the advent of 300 GHz Ft SiGe IC processes has enabled the development of high performance and low cost millimeter wave ICs. VT Silicon will fabricate their novel power amplifier designs in a commercial SiGe IC process and use Boeing's Q-band transmit module as the insertion vehicle.