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At least 379 records · Page 21
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1998

A 90 GHz Amplifier Assembled Using a Bump-Bonded InP-Based HEMT

We report on the performance of a novel W-band amplifier fabricated utilizing very compact bump bonds. We bump-bonded a high-speed, low-noise InP high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) onto a separately fabricated passive circuit having a GaAs substrate. The compact bumps and small chip size were used for efficient coupling and maximum circuit design flexibility. This new quasi-monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit (Q-MMIC) amplifier exhibits a peak gain of 5.8 dB at approx. 90 GHz and a 3 dB bandwidth of greater than 25%. To our knowledge, this is the highest frequency amplifier assembled using bump-bonded technology. Our bump-bonding technique is a useful alternative to the high cost of monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuits (MMIC's). Effects of the bumps on the circuit appear to be minimal. We used the simple matching circuit for demonstrating the technology - future circuits would have all of the elements (resistors, via holes, bias lines, etc.) included 'in conventional MMIC's. Our design in different from other investigators' efforts in that the bumps are only 8 microns thick by 15 microns wide. The bump sizes were sufficiently small that the devices, originally designed for W-band hybrid circuits, could be bonded without alteration. Figure 3 shows the measured and simulated magnitude of S-parameters from 85-120 GHz, of the InP HEMT bump-bonded to the low noise amplifier (LNA) passive. The maximum gain is 5.8 dB at approx. 90 GHz, and gain extends to 117 GHz. Measurement of a single device (without matching networks) shows approx. 1 dB of gain at 90 GHz. The measured gain of the amplifier agrees well with the design in the center of the measurement band, and the agreement falls off at the band edges. Since no accommodation for the bump-bonding parasitics was made in the design, the result implies that the parasitic elements associated with the bonding itself do not dominate the performance of the LNA circuit. It should be noted that this amplifier was designed for good noise performance, which is why the input and output return losses are poorer than one would expect for an amplifier simply matched for gain. However, noise performance has not been measured at this time. While the agreement between modeled vs. experimental data is not exact, the data prove that bump-bonded technology can be used for amplifiers at frequencies at least as high as 100 GHz. JPL is pursuing this technology as a way to economically and quickly incorporate the best available HEMTs into a circuit with all of the reliability and circuit design flexibility offered by MMIC technology. We are currently using the technology to fabricate 4-stage, wide-band, W-band LNA's. We have also performed pull and shear tests which show that the bump bonds are sufficiently robust for any anticipated application.

Pinsukanjana, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A Monolithic W-Band Three-Stage LNA Using 0.1 Micron InAlAs/InGaAs/InP HEMT Technology

A monolithic W-band three-stage Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA) based on 0.1 um pseudomorphic InAlAs/InGaAs/InP (High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) has been developed. this LNA demonstrated a noise figure of 4.3 dB and an associated small signal gain of 19 dB at 100 GHz with a low dc power consumption of 20 mW. This is the best reported monolithic W-band LNA performance using InP-based HEMT technology and demonstrates the potential of InP HEMT technology for higher millimeter-wave applications.

Wang, H.↗
NASA NTRS2001

InP MMIC Chip Set for Power Sources Covering 80-170 GHz

We will present a Monolithic Millimeter-wave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) chip set which provides high output-power sources for driving diode frequency multipliers into the terahertz range. The chip set was fabricated at HRL Laboratories using a 0.1-micrometer gate-length InAlAs/InGaAs/InP high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) process, and features transistors with an f(sub max) above 600 GHz. The HRL InP HEMT process has already demonstrated amplifiers in the 60-200 GHz range. In this paper, these high frequency HEMTs form the basis for power sources up to 170 GHz. A number of state-of-the-art InP HEMT MMICs will be presented. These include voltage-controlled and fixed-tuned oscillators, power amplifiers, and an active doubler. We will first discuss an 80 GHz voltage-controlled oscillator with 5 GHz of tunability and at least 17 mW of output power, as well as a 120 GHz oscillator providing 7 mW of output power. In addition, we will present results of a power amplifier which covers the full WRIO waveguide band (75-110 GHz), and provides 40-50 mW of output power. Furthermore, we will present an active doubler at 164 GHz providing 8% bandwidth, 3 mW of output power, and an unprecedented 2 dB of conversion loss for an InP HEMT MMIC at this frequency. Finally, we will demonstrate a power amplifier to cover 140-170 GHz with 15-25 mW of output power and 8 dB gain. These components can form a power source in the 155-165 GHz range by cascading the 80 GHz oscillator, W-band power amplifier, 164 GHz active doubler and final 140-170 GHz power amplifier for a stable, compact local oscillator subsystem, which could be used for atmospheric science or astrophysics radiometers.

Ngo, Catherine↗
NASA NTRS2002

Cryogenetically Cooled Field Effect Transistors for Low-Noise Systems

Recent tends in the design, fabrication and use of High-Electron-Mobility-Transistors (HEMT) in low noise amplifiers are reviewed. Systems employing these devices have achieved the lowest system noise for wavelengths greater than three millimeters with relatively modest cryogenic cooling requirements in a variety of ground and space based applications. System requirements which arise in employing such devices in imaging applications are contrasted with other leading coherent detector candidates at microwave wavelengths. Fundamental and practical limitations which arise in the context of microwave application of field effect devices at cryogenic temperatures will be discussed from a component and systems point of view.

Wollack, Edward J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Cryogenically Cooled Field Effect Transistors for Low-Noise Systems

Recent tends in the design, fabrication and use of High-Electron-Mobility-Transistors (HEMT) in low noise amplifiers are reviewed. Systems employing these devices have achieved the lowest system noise for wavelengths greater than three millimeters with relatively modest cryogenic cooling requirements in a variety of ground and space based applications. System requirements which arise in employing such devices in imaging applications are contrasted with other leading coherent detector candidates at microwave wavelengths. Fundamental and practical limitations which arise in the context of microwave application of field effect devices at cryogenic temperatures will be discussed from a component and systems point of view.

Wollack, Edward J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Development of Submillimeter SIS Mixers and Broadband HEMT Amplifiers

This is the final technical report for NASA grant NAG5-9493. entitled "Development of Submillimeter SIS Mixers and Broadband HEMT Amplifiers". The goal of this project was to develop and demonstrate a new generation of superconducting tunnel junction (SIS) receivers with extremely wide instantaneous (intermediate-frequency, or IF) bandwidths. of order 12 GHz. along with the wideband low-noise microwave HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) amplifiers which follow the SIS mixer. These wideband SIS/HEMT receivers would allow rapid submillimeter wavelength spectral line surveys to be carried out, for instance with the NASA airborne observatory SOFIA. and could potentially be useful for future submillimeter space missions such as SAFIR. In addition, there are potential NASA earth science applications. such as the monitoring of the distribution of chemical species in the stratosphere and troposphere using the limb-sounding technique. The overall goals of this project have been achieved: a broadband 200-300 SIS receiver was designed and constructed, and was demonstrated in the field through a test run at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on Mauna Kea. HI. The technical details are described in the appendices. which are primarily conference publications. but Appendix A also includes an unpublished summary of the latest results. The work on the SIS mixer design are described in the conference publications (appendices B and C). The "Supermix" software package that was developed at Caltech and used for the SIS design is also described in two conference papers, but has been substantially revised, debugged. and extended as part of the work completed for this grant. The Supermix package is made available to the community at no charge. The electromagnetic design of a radial waveguide probe similar to the one used in this work is described in a journal publication. Details of the novel fabrication procedure used for producing the SIS devices at JPL are also given in an upcoming journal article. Finally, details on the wideband HEMT amplifier design and noise characterization techniques are described in two publications.

Zmuidzinas, J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Highly Efficient Amplifier for Ka-Band Communications

An amplifier developed under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract will have applications for both satellite and terrestrial communications. This power amplifier uses an innovative series bias arrangement of active devices to achieve over 40-percent efficiency at Ka-band frequencies with an output power of 0.66 W. The amplifier is fabricated on a 2.0- by 3.8-square millimeter chip through the use of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) technology, and it uses state-of-the-art, Pseudomorphic High-Electron-Mobility Transistor (PHEMT) devices. Although the performance of the MMIC chip depends on these high-performance devices, the real innovations here are a unique series bias scheme, which results in a high-voltage chip supply, and careful design of the on-chip planar output stage combiner. This design concept has ramifications beyond the chip itself because it opens up the possibility of operation directly from a satellite power bus (usually 28 V) without a dc-dc converter. This will dramatically increase the overall system efficiency. Conventional microwave power amplifier designs utilize many devices all connected in parallel from the bias supply. This results in a low-bias voltage, typically 5 V, and a high bias current. With this configuration, substantial I(sup 2) R losses (current squared times resistance) may arise in the system bias-distribution network. By placing the devices in a series bias configuration, the total current is reduced, leading to reduced distribution losses. Careful design of the on-chip planar output stage power combiner is also important in minimizing losses. Using these concepts, a two-stage amplifier was designed for operation at 33 GHz and fabricated in a standard MMIC foundry process with 0.20-m PHEMT devices. Using a 20-V bias supply, the amplifier achieved efficiencies of over 40 percent with an output power of 0.66 W and a 16-dB gain over a 2-GHz bandwidth centered at 33 GHz. With a 28-V bias, a power level of 1.1 W was achieved with a 12-dB gain and a 36-percent efficiency. This represents the best reported combination of power and efficiency at this frequency. In addition to delivering excellent power and gain, this Ka-band MMIC power amplifier has an efficiency that is 10 percent greater than existing designs. The unique design offers an excellent match for spacecraft applications since the amplifier supply voltage is closely matched to the typical value of spacecraft bus voltage. These amplifiers may be used alone in applications of 1 W or less, or several may be combined or used in an array to produce moderate power, Ka-band transmitters with minimal power combining and less thermal stress owing to the combination of excellent efficiency and power output. The higher voltage operation of this design may also save mass and power because the dc-dc power converter is replaced with a simpler voltage regulator.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

Highly Conducting Graphite Epoxy Composite Demonstrated

Weight savings as high as 80 percent could be achieved if graphite polymer composites could replace aluminum in structures such as electromagnetic interference shielding covers and grounding planes. This could result in significant cost savings, especially for the mobile electronics found in spacecraft, aircraft, automobiles, and hand-held consumer electronics. However, such composites had not yet been fabricated with conductivity sufficient to enable these applications. To address this lack, a partnership of the NASA Lewis Research Center, Manchester College, and Applied Sciences, Inc., fabricated nonmetallic composites with unprecedented electrical conductivity. For these composites, heat-treated, vapor-grown graphite fibers were selected which have a resistivity of about 80 mW-cm, more than 20 times more conductive than typical carbon fibers. These fibers were then intercalated with iodine bromide (IBr). Intercalation is the insertion of guest atoms or molecules between the carbon planes of the graphite fibers. Since the carbon planes are not highly distorted in the process, intercalation has little effect on mechanical and thermal properties. Intercalation does, however, lower the carbon fiber resistivity to less than 10 mW-cm, which is comparable to that of metal fibers. Scaleup of the reaction was required since the initial intercalation experiments would be carried out on 20-mg quantities of fibers, and tens of grams of intercalated fibers would be needed to fabricate even small demonstration composites. The reaction was first optimized through a time and temperature study that yielded fibers with a resistivity of 8.7 2 mW-cm when exposed to IBr vapor at 114 C for 24 hours. Stability studies indicated that the intercalated fibers rapidly lost their conductivity when exposed to temperatures as low as 40 C in air. They were not, however, susceptible to degradation by water vapor in the manner of most graphite intercalation compounds. The 1000-fold scaleup experiments concluded that 114 C was near the optimum temperature, but that the intercalation time needed to be lengthened by a factor of 3.

Gaier, James R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Impurity Studies of Cd(0.8)Zn(0.2)Te Crystals Using Photoluminescence and Glow Discharge Mass Spectroscopy

Cd(1-x)Zn(x)Te semiconductor crystal is a highly promising material for room temperature x- and gamma-ray detector applications because of its high resistivity, long carrier lifetime, and relatively high hole and electron mobilities. This paper reports the investigation of the impurities in several Cd(1-x)Zn(x)Te (x = 0.20) crystals grown using the vertical Bridgman method under a Cd overpressure. The impurity concentrations were measured using glow discharge mass spectroscopy (GDMS). The energy states of the impurities were studied using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy at liquid helium temperature. The PL spectra showed a series of sharp high energy lines which are associated with free excitons and excitons bound to impurities as donors and acceptors in the crystals. The impurities also contributed to donor-acceptor pair recombination. The correlation between the GDMS and PL results will be reported.

Su, Ching-Hua↗
NASA NTRS1999

A 90 GHz Amplifier Assembled Using Flip-Chip Technology

This letter reports the performance of a novel single-stage W-band amplifier fabricated utilizing flip-chip bump-bonding. We have bump-bonded a high-speed, low-noise InP high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device onto a separately fabricated passive circuit having a GaAs substrate.

FET amplifiers Millimeter wave FETs bump-bonding m↗
NASA NTRS2005

Development of GaN-based microchemical sensor nodes

Sensors based III-N technology are gaining significant interest due to their potential for monolithic integration of RF transceivers and light sources and the capability of high temperature operations. We are developing a GaN-based micro chemical sensor node for remote detection of chemical toxins, and present electrical responses of AlGaN/GaN HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) sensors to chemical toxins as well as other common gases.

extreme environment↗
NASA NTRS2005

Development of GaN-based micro chemical sensor nodes

Sensors based on III-N technology are gaining significant interest due to their potential for monolithic integration of RF transceivers and light sources and the capability of high temperature operations. We are developing a GaN-based micro chemical sensor node for remote detection of chemical toxins, and present electrical responses of AlGaN/GaN HEMT (High Electron Mobility Transistor) sensors to chemical toxins as well as other common gases.

chemical↗
NASA NTRS2006

Deep Space Network, Cryogenic HEMT LNAs

Exploration of the Solar System with automated spacecraft that are more than ten astronomical units (1 AU = 149,597,870.691 km) from earth requires very large antennae employing extremely sensitive receivers. A key figure of merit in the specification of the spacecraft-to-earth telecommunications link is the ratio of the antenna gain to operatio nal noise temperature (G/Top) of the system. The Deep Space Network (DSN) receivers are cryogenic, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) which addres s the need to maintain Top as low as technology permits. Historicall y, the extra-ordinarily sensitive receive systems operated by the DSN have required ctyogenically cooled, ruby masers, operating at a physi cal temperature near the boiling point of helium, as the LNA. Althoug h masers continue to be used today, they are hand crafted at JPL and expensive to manufacture and maintain. Recent advances in the developm ent of indium phosphide (InP) based high electron mobility transistor s (HEMTs) combined with cryogenic cooling near the boiling point of h ydrogen have made this alternate technology comparable with and a fraction of the cost of maser technology. InP HEMT LNA modules are demons trating noise temperatures less than ten times the quantum noise limi t (10hf/k) from 1 to 100 GHz. To date, the lowest noise LNA modules developed for the DSN have demonstrated noise temperatures of 3.5 K and 8.5 K at 8.5 K at 32 GHz, respectively. Front-end receiver packages employing these modules have demonstrated operating system noise temperatures of 17 K at 8.4 GHz (on a 70m antenna at zenith) and 39 K at 3 2 GHz (on a 34m antenna at zenith). The development and demonstration of cryogenic, InP HEMT based front-end amplifiers for the DSN requir es accurate component and module characterization, and modeling from 1 to 100 GHz at physical temperatures down to 12 K. The characterizati on and modeling begins with the HEMT chip, proceeds to the multi-stag e HEMT LNA module, and culminates with the complete front-end cryogenic receiver package for the antenna. This presentation will provide a n overview of this development process. Examples will be shown for de vices, LNA modules, front-end receiver packages, antennae employing these packages and the improvements to the down-link capacity.

low-noise amplifiers (LNAs)↗
NASA NTRS1994

Non-volatile magnetic random access memory

Improvements are made in a non-volatile magnetic random access memory. Such a memory is comprised of an array of unit cells, each having a Hall-effect sensor and a thin-film magnetic element made of material having an in-plane, uniaxial anisotropy and in-plane, bipolar remanent magnetization states. The Hall-effect sensor is made more sensitive by using a 1 m thick molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs layer on a silicon substrate by employing a GaAs/AlGaAs/InAlAs superlattice buffering layer. One improvement avoids current shunting problems of matrix architecture. Another improvement reduces the required magnetizing current for the micromagnets. Another improvement relates to the use of GaAs technology wherein high electron-mobility GaAs MESFETs provide faster switching times. Still another improvement relates to a method for configuring the invention as a three-dimensional random access memory.

Katti, Romney R.↗
NASA NTRS2008

HEMT Amplifiers and Equipment for their On-Wafer Testing

Power amplifiers comprising InP-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) in coplanar-waveguide (CPW) circuits designed for operation at frequencies of hundreds of gigahertz, and a test set for onwafer measurement of their power levels have been developed. These amplifiers utilize an advanced 35-nm HEMT monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) technology and have potential utility as local-oscillator drivers and power sources in future submillimeter-wavelength heterodyne receivers and imaging systems. The test set can reduce development time by enabling rapid output power characterization, not only of these and similar amplifiers, but also of other coplanar-waveguide power circuits, without the necessity of packaging the circuits.

Fung, King man↗
NASA NTRS2008

GaN-based sensor nodes for in situ detection of gases

A system for detecting chemical/biological substances and a detection method. The system comprises a plurality of sensing units or nodes and a radiofrequency link. Each unit has several sensors with different sensing curves. Each sensor is able to transmit information related to the sensed substance on a specific frequency. The sensors preferably comprise AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors.

Moon, Jeong-Sun↗
NASA NTRS2008

ISIS Topside-Sounder Plasma-Wave Investigations as Guides to Desired Virtual Wave Observatory (VWO) Data Search Capabilities

Many plasma-wave phenomena, observed by space-borne radio sounders, cannot be properly explained in terms of wave propagation in a cold plasma consisting of mobile electrons and infinitely massive positive ions. These phenomena include signals known as plasma resonances. The principal resonances at the harmonics of the electron cyclotron frequency, the plasma frequency, and the upper-hybrid frequency are well explained by the warm-plasma propagation of sounder-generated electrostatic waves, Other resonances have been attributed to sounder-stimulated plasma instability and non-linear effects, eigenmodes of cylindrical electromagnetic plasma oscillations, and plasma memory processes. Data from the topside sounders of the International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS) program played a major role in these interpretations. A data transformation and preservation effort at the Goddard Space Flight Center has produced digital ISIS topside ionograms and a metadata search program that has enabled some recent discoveries pertaining to the physics of these plasma resonances. For example, data records were obtained that enabled the long-standing question (several decades) of the origin of the plasma resonance at the fundamental electron cyclotron frequency to be explained [Muldrew, Radio Sci., 2006]. These data-search capabilities, and the science enabled by them, will be presented as a guide to desired data search capabilities to be included in the Virtual Wave Observatory (VWO).

Benson, Robert F.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Channel Temperature Determination for AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on SiC and Sapphire

Numerical simulation results (with emphasis on channel temperature) for a single gate AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) with either a sapphire or SiC substrate are presented. The static I-V characteristics, with concomitant channel temperatures (T(sub ch)) are calculated using the software package ATLAS, from Silvaco, Inc. An in-depth study of analytical (and previous numerical) methods for the determination of T(sub ch) in both single and multiple gate devices is also included. We develop a method for calculating T(sub ch) for the single gate device with the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of all material layers included. We also present a new method for determining the temperature on each gate in a multi-gate array. These models are compared with experimental results, and show good agreement. We demonstrate that one may obtain the channel temperature within an accuracy of +/-10 C in some cases. Comparisons between different approaches are given to show the limits, sensitivities, and needed approximations, for reasonable agreement with measurements.

Freeman, Jon C.↗