Northrop Grumman Corp., a designer and fabricator of advanced semiconductors, has developed two high performance Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) broadband ultra low noise amplifiers (LNA) that are in production for immediate delivery.

The cost-effective indium phosphide (InP) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) LNAs are for use in E-Band and W-Band commercial, civil and military applications such as communication links, sensors, millimeter-wave imaging, radars and digital microwave radios.

The compact die design of each LNA considerably reduces footprint size and exhibits unmatched ultra low noise performance and high gain.

"The LNAs are the initial release of products designed with the company's indium phosphide process, a powerful semiconductor technology that has successfully been used in Northrop Grumman's advanced military communication systems," said Frank Kropschot, general manager, Microelectronics Products and Services at Northrop Grumman. "For the first time, Northrop is offering products for similarly demanding commercial applications."

Product descriptions:

ALP283:

• The ALP283 is a W-Band 1.7 mm2 InP HEMT low noise amplifier that operates between 80 and 100 GHz
• The power amplifier provides 29 dB of linear gain, 2.5 dB typical Noise Figure and 1dB gain compression power (P1dB) of 3 dBm (2 mw)
• A 2 dB typical average noise figure from 80 to100 GHz
• Excellent for W-Band millimeter-wave imaging applications, sensors and communication links

ALP275:

• The ALP275 is W-Band 2.125 mm2 InP HEMT ultra low noise amplifier that operates between 71 and 96 GHz
• The power amplifier provides greater than 26 dB of linear gain, 3 dB typical Noise Figure and P1dB of 4 dBm (2.5 mw)
• Ideal for E-Band and W-Band communications links

To ensure rugged and reliable operation, both LNAs are fully passivated. Both bond pad and backside metallization are Ti/Au, which is compatible with conventional die attach, thermocompression and thermosonic wire bonding assembly techniques.