A Sub-1dB Noise Figure Ku Band GaN Low Noise Amplifier for Space Applications

AlGaN/GaN HEMT technology have shown excellent results for the construction of low-noise, high-dynamic-range, and very robust amplifiers in addition to being extensively used for microwave high-power applications. In this work, we report the design and simulation of a Ku band two stage cascaded low-noise amplifier (LNA) using 250 nm gate length AlGaN/GaN HEMT on silicon carbide (SiC) for space application with sub 1 dB noise figure. The device structure was improved by using AlInN back barrier (BB) and its performance was compared with the conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMT. The AlGaN/GaN HEMT LNA has a noise figure (NF) of about 2.5 dB and over 11.5 dB linear gain at 13 GHz. The LNA designed using AlGaN/GaN HEMT with AlInN BB exhibited a similar gain with a noise figure of 0.98 dB at 13 GHz. Thus, AlGaN/GaN HEMT LNA performance can be enhanced by incorporating AlInN BB.