Cryogenic Performance of NGC 35nm InP Low Noise Amplifiers

Cryogenic Performance of NGC 35nm

InP Low Noise Amplifiers

Eric W. Bryerton

• Wafer run complete 1/15/2008

• Chip Dimension: 2.1mm x 0.8mm

EBLNA81

Cryogenic Performance of 35nm InP LNAs

On-chip Measurements

EBLNA81 (VG=+0.3V, VD=1.2V)

On-wafer, T=297K

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

65 70 75 80 85 90 95

Frequency (GHz)

Gain

(d

B)

R13C02M0R13C02M1R14C02M0R15C02M0Simulation

• Gm increased in simulation (from 1950 to 2500 mS/mm) to match

measured performance


On-Chip Noise Measurement


EBLNA81 (VG=+0.22V, VD=0.80V, ID=20mA)

on-wafer, T=297K

(+/-30K error bars)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

60 65 70 75 80 85 90

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise

Te

mp

era

ture

(K

)

R13C02M0R13C02M1R14C02M0R15C02M0Simulation

On-chip Noise Measurement


WR-12 LNA Module

• Same MDM-15 pinout as CDL LNAs


WR-12 LNA Module

20pF

1K


LNA Module Measurements

S21 Noise



EBLNA81

T=297K, Vd=0.8V, Id=21mA

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Frequency (GHz)

S2

1 (

dB

)


EBLNA81

Vd=0.8V

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Frequency (GHz)

S2

1 (

dB

)

T=297K,Id=21mA

T=17.5K,Id=9mA



Amplifier Noise Temperature

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise

Te

mp

[K

]

WR-12 mixer

WR-10 mixer

Amplifier ID: eblna81

Timestamp: 7/9/2008 11:12 AM

Measured by:

Dewar Temp: 327

Ambient Temp: 327

Noise Diode:11833

Software Version: 1.3

Vd=0.8V, Id=7mA/stage



35nm 3-stage LNA (EBLNA81)

(Vd1=0.5V,Vd2=0.8V,Vd3=0.8V)

(Id1=1.5mA,Id2=3.0mA,Id3=3.0mA)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise

Te

mp

[K

]WR-12 mixer

WR-10 mixer

Simulation

• Simulation: Gm=2500mS/mm, Igs=0, Tdrain=1400

• Pdiss = 5.55mW




0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise T

em

p [

K]

• Blue trace shows noise for minimum power dissipation:

Vd1=0.35V, Vd23=0.5V, Id=4.5mA -> Pdiss = 2.06mW



Pinchoff Characteristics

Average Tnoise from 83-87 GHz

Relative Gain at 85 GHz

Tamb=17.5K

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Idrain (mA)

Tn

ois

e (

K)

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

Rela

tive G

ain

Tnoise

Gain

Average Tnoise over min 4GHz

Relative Gain at 81 GHz

Tamb=297K

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Idrain (mA)

Tn

ois

e (

K)

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

Rela

tive G

ain

Tnoise

Gain


EBLNA81

(Vd1=0.5V,Vd23=0.8V,Id1=1.5mA,Id23=3mA)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

65 70 75 80 85 90

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise

Te

mp

era

ture

(K

)

200K

40K77K

100K120K

150K180K

17.5K

240K

280K

Why the frequency shift cold?


EBLNA81

(T=297K,Vd=0.8V,Id23=7mA)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

65 70 75 80 85 90

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise T

em

pera

ture

(K

)

Id1=7mAId1=3mAId1=1.5mAId1=1mAId1=0.5mA

• Hypothesis: Cgs(Vgs) is causing frequency shift

Why the frequency shift cold?


EBLNA81

Vd=0.8V

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Frequency (GHz)

S2

1 (

dB

)

T=297K,Id=21mA

T=17.5K,Id=9mA

• Change in S21 also modeled well by decrease in Cgs

Revised cryogenic model for parasitics


Amplifier Noise Temperature

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

60 65 70 75 80 85 90

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise

Te

mp

[K

]

Noise Temp (K)

Simulation

Amplifier ID: eblna1

Timestamp: 7/11/2008 4:59 PM

Measured by:

Dewar Temp: 393

Ambient Temp: 393

Noise Diode:11833

Software Version: 1.3

• Id1=1.5mA

• Simulation: gm1=33.6mS, gm23=66.6mS, Cgs1=12.6fF

(versus 17.5fF in original model)




(Vd1=0.5V,Vd2=0.8V,Vd3=0.8V)

(Id1=1.5mA,Id2=3.0mA,Id3=3.0mA)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise

Te

mp

[K

]

WR-12 mixer

WR-10 mixer

Simulation

• Simulation: Gm1=64mS, Gm23=90mS, Td1=1400K,

Td23=2800K, Cgs1=12.6fF (compared to 17.5fF original)



EBLNA81B: Retuned for 67-90 GHz35nm 3-stage LNA (EBLNA81)

(Vd1=0.5V,Vd2=0.8V,Vd3=0.8V)

(Id1=1.5mA,Id2=3.0mA,Id3=3.0mA)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Frequency (GHz)

No

ise

Te

mp

[K

]

WR-12 mixer

WR-10 mixer

Sim:EBLNA81

Sim: EBLNA81B

L13: 65 to 34um

L14: 78 to 144um L14L13


EBLNAW+: Cover full 68-116 GHz band

21Cryogenic Performance of 35nm InP LNAs

MMLN100: Cover full 68-116 GHz band


EBLNAW0: A “Tunable” MMIC LNA


Questions / Discussion Points

• Is the process repeatable?

• These results are with 70% channel, what do they look like with 100%

channel (higher gm)?

• Operation at 4K

• Ultimate limit for W-band LNA noise temperature

• Comparison to SIS development

Cryogenic Performance of 35nm InP LNAs 24

Cryogenic Performance of NGC 35nm InP Low Noise Amplifiers

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