Microwave and millimeter-wave products supplier TriQuint Semiconductor has unwrapped new gallium arsenide (GaAs) amplifiers to meet market-specific high-frequency signal amplification needs while also providing smaller, lower-cost alternatives compared to previous-generation products. Designed for point-to-point radio, wireless base stations, satellite communications, satcom ground terminals, electronic warfare, instrumentation and frequency multipliers, the new amplifiers come in cost-effective packages or as die.

New high-power amplifier (HPA) and low-noise amplifier (LNA) releases include TGA4040-SM, TGA4525-SM, TGA2520, and TGA2602-SM. While TGA4040-SM is a packaged wideband, medium-power amplifier for 17 GHz to 35 GHz applications, the TGA4525-SM is a packaged compact HPA MMIC for K-band applications. TGA2520 is a HPA MMIC suited for Ku-band satellite ground terminals and point-to-point radios. Similarly, TGA2602-SM is a packaged high-IP3 dual pHEMT discrete LNA tailored for wireless communications network base station and WiMAX applications, operating from dc to 3000 MHz.

Designed using TriQuint’s 0.15 ìm power pHEMT production process, the TGA4040-SM provides a nominal 20 dB small signal gain with 18 dBm maximum output power at 1 dB gain compression. For 2x and 3x multiplier functions, the TGA4040-SM provides 15 dBm (typical) output power at 9 dBm input power. Evaluation boards are available on request; this part is lead-free and RoHS-compliant.

Based on TriQuint’s 0.25 ìm gate power pHEMT production process, the TGA4525-SM provides nominal 37 dBm output TOI. The new HPA also offers 29 dBm of output power at 1dB gain compression from 17 GHz to 27 GHz with a small signal gain of 22 dB. This product is 100% dc and RF tested on-wafer to ensure performance and compliance. Evaluation boards are available on request; this part is lead-free and RoHS-compliant.

Likewise, the 2 W TGA2520 uses the robust 0.5 ìm power pHEMT process combined with the latest 3-metal layer interconnect (3MI) technology to deliver 33 dB gain with a high-power transmit function within a compact footprint: less than 3.5 mm². The new product’s high gain and high TOI (>40 dBm), plus its wide frequency application, make it suitable for point-to-point radios, according to TriQuint. In addition, it has been designed using high-yield processes that produce compact die with excellent performance to support low-cost transmit modules. Each device is 100% dc and RF tested on-wafer to ensure performance compliance.

Operating from DC to 3000 MHz, the TGA2602-SM provides a noise figure of 0.55 dB when used in a balanced configuration, with a small signal gain of more than 19 dB at 1950 MHz. The TGA2602-SM is available in a low-cost, surface-mount 6-lead 2 mm x 2 mm QFN package. Balanced evaluation boards are available on request. This product is lead-free and RoHS-compliant.