Amplifier using N-polar T-gate gallium nitride High Electron Mobility transistor (ANTHEM)

To meet the demands of the N211-086 “N-Polar Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistor in Low-Cost Process Technology for mm-wave Transceiver Applications” program, the MaXentric team proposes the ANTHEM (Amplifier using N-polar T-gate gallium nitride High Electron Mobility transistor), which provides E-band low noise amplifier (LNA) and transmit/receive (T/R) switch using a Nitrogen-polar (N-polar) Gallium Nitride (GaN) high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) technology. The device will be fabricated on a low-cost Sapphire substrate that can be scaled to diameters of 150 mm and above. During Phase I, the team characterized and modeled a N-polar GaN HEMT device, especially for the noise performance in a millimeter-wave frequency band. In addition, E-band LNA and T/R switch were designed using extracted models, where the targeted gain and noise figure are >15 dB and <3.5 dB, respectively. During Phase II, the team will develop and demonstrate an E-band millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) front-end module. During the first part of the Phase II development (Base), a complete process design kit (PDK) and MMICs prototypes such as LNA and T/R switch will be realized and demonstrated. In the second part (Option), a single chip front-end MMIC will be implemented, as well as its packaging in a waveguide module. The technology can be applicable across a wide range, such as 5G, point-to-point and satellite communication (SATCOM).