LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 114
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Order On-line at www.hittite.com
GaAs HEMT MMIC WIDEBAND
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER, 2 - 20 GHz
v02.0209
General Description
Features
Functional Diagram
Noise Figure: 2.5 dB
Gain: 11.6 dB @ 10 GHz
P1dB Output Power: +10 dBm
Supply Voltage: +2V @ 55 mA
Die Size: 3.0 x 1.435 x 0.1 mm
Electrical Speci cations, TA = +25° C, Vdd= 2V [1], Idd = 55mA [2]
Typical Applications
This HMC-ALH102 is ideal for:
• Wideband Communications Receivers
• Surveillance Systems
• Point-to-Point Radios
• Point-to-Multi-Point Radios
• Military & Space
• Test Instrumentation
The HMC-ALH102 is a GaAs MMIC HEMT Low Noise
Distributed Ampli er die which operates between
2 and 20 GHz. The ampli er provides 11.6 dB of gain
at 10 GHz, 2.5 dB noise gure and +10 dBm of out-
put power at 1 dB gain compression while requiring
only 55 mA from a +2V supply voltage. The HMC-
ALH102 ampli er is ideal for integration into Multi-
Chip-Modules (MCMs) due to its small size.
HMC-ALH102
Parameter Min. Typ. Max. Units
Frequency Range 2 - 20 GHz
Gain 8 10 dB
Input Return Loss 15 dB
Output Return Loss 12 dB
Output Power for 1 dB Compression 8 10 dBm
Noise Figure 2.5 dB
Supply Current (Idd) 55 mA
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all measurements are from probed die
[2] Adjust Vgg between -1V to +0.3V (Typ. -0.5V) to achieve Idd= 55 mA
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 115
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Noise Figure vs. Frequency
Output Return Loss vs. Frequency
Linear Gain vs. Frequency
Input Return Loss vs. Frequency
HMC-ALH102
v02.0209 GaAs HEMT MMIC WIDEBAND
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER, 2 - 20 GHz
Note: Measured Performance Characteristics (Typical Performance at 25°C) Vd= 2.0 V, Id = 55 mA
0
4
8
12
16
2 6 10 14 18 22
GAIN (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
2 6 10 14 18 22
RETURN LOSS (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
2 6 10 14 18 22
RETURN LOSS (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
0
1
2
3
4
5
2 6 10 14 18 22
NOISE FIGURE (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 116
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
HMC-ALH102
v02.0209 GaAs HEMT MMIC WIDEBAND
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER, 2 - 20 GHz
Outline Drawing
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Drain Bias Voltage +3.7 Vdc
Gate Bias Voltage -1 to +0.3 Vdc
RF Input Power 5 dBm
Channel Temperature 180 °C
ELECTROSTATIC SENSITIVE DEVICE
OBSERVE HANDLING PRECAUTIONS
NOTES:
1. ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN INCHES [MM].
2. TYPICAL BOND PAD IS .004” SQUARE.
3. BACKSIDE METALLIZATION: GOLD.
4. BACKSIDE METAL IS GROUND.
5. BOND PAD METALLIZATION: GOLD.
6. CONNECTION NOT REQUIRED FOR UNLABELED BOND PADS.
7. OVERALL DIE SIZE ±.002”
Die Packaging Information [1]
Standard Alternate
GP-2 (Gel Pack) [2]
[1] Refer to the “Packaging Information” section for die
packaging dimensions.
[2] For alternate packaging information contact Hittite
Microwave Corporation.
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
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For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Pad Number Function Pad Description Interface Schematic
1 RFIN This pas is AC coupled and matched to 50 Ohms.
2Vdd
Power Supply Voltage for the ampli er. See Assembly Dia-
gram for required external components.
3, 5 Vgg
Gate control for ampli er. Please follow “MMIC Ampli er Bias-
ing Procedure” application note. See assembly for required
external components.
4 RFOUT This pad is AC coupled and matched to 50 Ohms.
Die Bottom GND Die Bottom must be connected to RF/DC ground.
Pad Descriptions
HMC-ALH102
v02.0209 GaAs HEMT MMIC WIDEBAND
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER, 2 - 20 GHz
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 118
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Assembly Diagram
Note 1: Bypass caps should be 100 pF (approximately) ceramic (single-layer) placed no farther than 30 mils from the ampli er
Note 2: Best performance obtained from use of <10 mil (long) by 3 by 0.5 mil ribbons on input and output.10 Ohms
Note 3: Gate bond pads (VG) exist on the upper & lower sides of the MMIC for assembly convenience. For best performance the
unused pad should be attached to a 100pF cap to ground, but is not required.
HMC-ALH102
v02.0209 GaAs HEMT MMIC WIDEBAND
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER, 2 - 20 GHz
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 119
For price, delivery, and to place orders, please contact Hittite Microwave Corporation:
20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Mounting & Bonding Techniques for Millimeterwave GaAs MMICs
The die should be attached directly to the ground plane eutectically or with
conductive epoxy (see HMC general Handling, Mounting, Bonding Note).
50 Ohm Microstrip transmission lines on 0.127mm (5 mil) thick alumina thin lm
substrates are recommended for bringing RF to and from the chip (Figure 1). If
0.254mm (10 mil) thick alumina thin lm substrates must be used, the die should be
raised 0.150mm (6 mils) so that the surface of the die is coplanar with the surface
of the substrate. One way to accomplish this is to attach the 0.102mm (4 mil) thick
die to a 0.150mm (6 mil) thick molybdenum heat spreader (moly-tab) which is then
attached to the ground plane (Figure 2).
Microstrip substrates should be brought as close to the die as possible in order to
minimize bond wire length. Typical die-to-substrate spacing is 0.076mm (3 mils).
Handling Precautions
Follow these precautions to avoid permanent damage.
Storage: All bare die are placed in either Waffle or Gel based ESD protective
containers, and then sealed in an ESD protective bag for shipment. Once the
sealed ESD protective bag has been opened, all die should be stored in a dry
nitrogen environment.
Cleanliness: Handle the chips in a clean environment. DO NOT attempt to clean
the chip using liquid cleaning systems.
Static Sensitivity: Follow ESD precautions to protect against > ± 250V ESD
strikes.
Transients: Suppress instrument and bias supply transients while bias is applied.
Use shielded signal and bias cables to minimize inductive pick-up.
General Handling: Handle the chip along the edges with a vacuum collet or with
a sharp pair of bent tweezers. The surface of the chip has fragile air bridges and
should not be touched with vacuum collet, tweezers, or ngers.
Mounting
The chip is back-metallized and can be die mounted with AuSn eutectic preforms or
with electrically conductive epoxy. The mounting surface should be clean and at.
Eutectic Die Attach: A 80/20 gold tin preform is recommended with a work surface
temperature of 255 °C and a tool temperature of 265 °C. When hot 90/10 nitrogen/hydrogen gas is applied, tool tip temperature
should be 290 °C. DO NOT expose the chip to a temperature greater than 320 °C for more than 20 seconds. No more than 3
seconds of scrubbing should be required for attachment.
Epoxy Die Attach: Apply a minimum amount of epoxy to the mounting surface so that a thin epoxy llet is observed around the
perimeter of the chip once it is placed into position. Cure epoxy per the manufacturer’s schedule.
Wire Bonding
Ball or wedge bond with 0.025 mm (1 mil) diameter pure gold wire is recommended. Thermosonic wirebonding with a nominal stage
temperature of 150 °C and a ball bonding force of 40 to 50 grams or wedge bonding force of 18 to 22 grams is recommended. Use
the minimum level of ultrasonic energy to achieve reliable wirebonds. Wirebonds should be started on the chip and terminated on
the package or substrate. All bonds should be as short as possible <0.31 mm (12 mils).
0.102mm (0.004”) Thick GaAs MMIC
Wire Bond
RF Ground Plane
0.127mm (0.005”) Thick Alumina
Thin Film Substrate
0.076mm
(0.003”)
Figure 1.
0.102mm (0.004”) Thick GaAs MMIC
Wire Bond
RF Ground Plane
0.254mm (0.010”) Thick Alumina
Thin Film Substrate
0.076mm
(0.003”)
Figure 2.
0.150mm (0.005”) Thick
Moly Tab
HMC-ALH102
v02.0209 GaAs HEMT MMIC WIDEBAND
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER, 2 - 20 GHz
