A full W-band low noise amplifier module for millimeter-wave applications

A full W-band low noise amplifier (LNA) module is designed and fabricated. A broadband transition is introduced in this module. The proposed transition is designed, optimized based on the results from numerical simulations. The results show that 1 dB bandwidth of the transition ranges from 61 to 117 GHz. For the purpose of verification, two transitions in back-to-back connection are measured. The results show that transmission loss is only about 0.9–1.7 dB. This transition is used to interface integrated circuits to waveguide components. The characteristic of the LNA module is measured after assembly. It exhibits a broad bandwidth of 75 to 110 GHz, and has a small signal gain above 21 dB. The noise figure is lower than 5.2 dB throughout the entire W-band (below 3 dB from 89 to 95 GHz) at room temperature. The proposed LNA module exhibits potential for millimeter wave applications due to its high small signal gain, low noise, and low DC power consumption. (paper)