A Novel Non-Uniform Distributed Amplifier/Attenuator for Millimetre-wave Transmitter MMICs

A non-uniform distributed pHEMT amplifier/attenuator is presented. The topology ensures good intermodulation (OIP3 > 24 dBm) and more than 16 dB of dynamic rage. Rather than optimising the gate and drain transmission line lengths, this design varies transistor width, in both the amplifier and shunt-attenuator devices, to minimise width and maximise performance. These factors make the presented design useful for the construction of compact, high-performance millimetre-wave transmitter MMICs