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Feedback Linearized Amplifiers for RF Electronics (FLARE)

Program Manager: Dr. Sanjay Raman

The Department of Defense (DoD) has a wide range of applications that will benefit from sensitive and comparatively low-power, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) with ultra-high linearity, such as radar, communication, and electronic warfare systems. Increased radio frequency (RF) spectrum utilization/crowding leading to more severe friendly or hostile signal interference challenges necessitates the development of higher dynamic range RF front-ends without compromising system sensitivity (noise figure). Furthermore, many applications and/or systems are sensitive to power consumption (PDC), as in the case of phased arrays which can include hundreds of front-end microwave amplifiers per array. The Feedback Linearized Amplifier for RF Electronics (FLARE) program's ultimate goal is to develop ultra-high linearity LNAs with 100-fold increase in state-of-the-art output third-order intercept point (OIP3) without power or noise penalty. Using negative feedback techniques in conjunction with Indium Phosphide (InP) high-speed transistor technology, FLARE will provide ultra-high-performance LNAs covering the spectrum of requirements from very high OIP3 and OIP3/PDC to very low noise figure (NF), providing a direct path to satisfying future DoD electronic system requirements.

Phase I of FLARE will first design and fabricate InP heterojunction bipolar transistor-(HBT) based feedback linearized amplifiers to demonstrate the program concept with dramatic improvement of OIP3. Phase I also includes concurrent development of 400+ GHz InP high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with multi-layer interconnects and advanced low-noise InP HBTs to establish technologies for ultra-high linearity, ultra-low noise amplifiers in subsequent phases. Phase II will extend the Phase I circuit designs by also employing InP HEMTs for ultra-low-noise, high-linearity amplifier stages, and will develop advanced InP HBT processes for ultra-high linearity LNA stages. Phase III will then demonstrate (1) a composite broadband LNA module consisting of an ultra-low noise HEMT LNA and an ultra-high linearity HBT LNA, and (2) an all-HBT monolithic ultra-high linearity broadband LNA.