High-Gain 670-GHz Amplifier Circuits in InGaAs-on-Insulator HEMT Technology

Abstract

In this letter, we report on the development of high-gain WR-1.5 amplifier circuits, utilizing a transferred-substrate InGaAs-on-insulator (InGaAs-OI) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) technology on Si with 20-nm gate length. A six-stage and a nine-stage amplifier circuit are described, which are based on gain cells in cascode configuration. With more than 30 dB of measured gain in the frequency band of 660-700 GHz, the highest frequency of operation of transferred-substrate THz amplifiers is reported. These gain levels in excess of 30 dB, furthermore, correspond to the highest reported gain values and state-of-the-art performance around the targeted 670-GHz frequency band.