HMC442

v03.1007

GaAs PHEMT MMIC MEDIUM

POWER AMPLIFIER, 17.5 - 25.5 GHz

Typical Applications

Features

The HMC442 is ideal for use as a medium power

amplifier for:

Saturated Power: +23 dBm @ 25% PAE

Point-to-Point and Point-to-Multi-Point Radios

Supply Voltage: +5V

VSAT

50 Ohm Matched Input/Output

Gain: 15 dB

LINEAR & POWER AMPLIFIERS - CHIP

Die Size: 1.03 x 1.13 x 0.1 mm

Functional Diagram

General Description
The HMC442 is an efficient GaAs PHEMT MMIC
Medium Power Amplifier which operates between
17.5 and 25.5 GHz. The HMC442 provides 15 dB of
gain, +23 dBm of saturated power and 25% PAE from
a +5V supply voltage. The amplifier chip can easily be
integrated into Multi-Chip-Modules (MCMs) due to its
small size. All data is tested with the chip in a 50 Ohm
test fixture connected via 0.025mm (1 mil) diameter
wire bonds of minimal length 0.31mm (12 mils).

Electrical Specifi cations, TA = +25 C, Vdd = 5V, Idd = 85 mA*

Parameter

Min.

Frequency Range
Gain

Typ.

Max.

Min.

17.5 - 21.0
12

Gain Variation Over Temperature

14.5
0.02

Input Return Loss

12
0.03

Max.

Min.

13.5
0.03

Max.

dB
0.03

10

dB

10

dB

18

21

18.5

21.5

19

22

dBm

Saturated Output Power (Psat)

20

23

20

23

20

23.5

dBm

27

dBm

29

Noise Figure

6.5

Supply Current (Idd)(Vdd = 5V, Vgg = -1V Typ.)

85

28
5.5
110

85

6
110

85

dB
110

* Adjust Vgg between -1.5 to -0.5V to achieve Idd = 85 mA typical.

3 - 16

dB/ C

Output Power for 1 dB Compression (P1dB)

Output Third Order Intercept (IP3)

10

Units
GHz

16
0.02

13

10

Typ.
24.0 - 25.5

15
0.02

15

Output Return Loss

Typ.
21.0 - 24.0

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

mA

HMC442
v03.1007

GaAs PHEMT MMIC MEDIUM

POWER AMPLIFIER, 17.5 - 25.5 GHz

Gain vs. Temperature

20

10

16
S21
S11
S22

-10

-20

12
+25 C
+85 C
-55 C

-30

0
14

17

20

23

26

29

16

17

18

19

FREQUENCY (GHz)

Input Return Loss vs. Temperature

22

23

24

25

26

27

0
+25 C
+85 C
-55 C

-5
RETURN LOSS (dB)

-5
RETURN LOSS (dB)

21

Output Return Loss vs. Temperature

-10
-15
-20
-25

-10
-15
+25 C
+85 C
-55 C

-20
-25

-30

-30
16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

16

17

18

19

FREQUENCY (GHz)

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

24

25

26

27

Psat vs. Temperature

30

26

26
Psat (dBm)

30

22

18
+25 C
+85 C
-55 C

14

20

FREQUENCY (GHz)

P1dB vs. Temperature

P1dB (dBm)

20

FREQUENCY (GHz)

LINEAR & POWER AMPLIFIERS - CHIP

20

GAIN (dB)

RESPONSE (dB)

Broadband Gain & Return Loss

22
+25 C
+85 C
-55 C

18

14

10

10
16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

FREQUENCY (GHz)

24

25

26

27

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

FREQUENCY (GHz)

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

3 - 17

HMC442
v03.1007

GaAs PHEMT MMIC MEDIUM

POWER AMPLIFIER, 17.5 - 25.5 GHz

Power Compression @ 21 GHz

Power Compression @ 25 GHz

24

Pout (dBm), GAIN (dB), PAE (%)

35

Pout (dBm)
Gain (dB)
PAE (%)

20
16
12
8
4
0
-10

-6

-2

10

Pout (dBm)
Gain (dB)
PAE (%)

25
20
15
10
5
0
-10

14

-6

-2

10

30

8
NOISE FIGURE (dB)

IP3 (dBm)

10

14

Noise Figure vs. Temperature

34

26

22
+25 C
+85 C
-55 C

18

INPUT POWER (dBm)

Output IP3 vs. Temperature

4
+25 C
+85 C
-55 C

14

0
16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

16

17

18

19

FREQUENCY (GHz)

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

26

27

FREQUENCY (GHz)

Gain & Power vs. Supply Voltage @ 25 GHz

Reverse Isolation vs. Temperature

0

26
24

-10
ISOLATION (dB)

22
20
18
16
14

Gain
P1dB
Psat

12
10
2.7

+25 C
+85 C
-55 C

-20
-30
-40
-50
-60

3.1

3.5

3.9

4.3

4.7

Vdd Supply Voltage (Vdc)

3 - 18

30

INPUT POWER (dBm)

GAIN (dB), P1dB (dBm), Psat (dBm)

LINEAR & POWER AMPLIFIERS - CHIP

Pout (dBm), GAIN (dB), PAE (%)

28

5.1

5.5

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

FREQUENCY (GHz)

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

HMC442
v03.1007

GaAs PHEMT MMIC MEDIUM

POWER AMPLIFIER, 17.5 - 25.5 GHz

Typical Supply Current vs. Vdd

Drain Bias Voltage (Vdd)

+5.5 Vdc

Gate Bias Voltage (Vgg)

-4 to 0 Vdc

Vdd (Vdc)

Idd (mA)

+4.5

82

RF Input Power (RFIN)(Vdd = +5Vdc)

+20 dBm

+5.0

85

Channel Temperature

175 C

+5.5

89

Continuous Pdiss (T= 85 C)

(derate 7.1 mW/C above 85 C)

0.64 W

+2.7

79

+3.0

83

Thermal Resistance
(channel to die bottom)

141 C/W

+3.3

86

Storage Temperature

-65 to +150 C

Operating Temperature

-55 to +85 C

Note: Amplifi er will operate over full voltage ranges shown above

ELECTROSTATIC SENSITIVE DEVICE

OBSERVE HANDLING PRECAUTIONS

Outline Drawing

NOTES:
1. ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN INCHES [MM]
2. DIE THICKNESS IS .004
3. TYPICAL BOND IS .004 SQUARE
4. BACKSIDE METALLIZATION: GOLD
5. BOND PAD METALLIZATION: GOLD
6. BACKSIDE METAL IS GROUND.
7. CONNECTION NOT REQUIRED FOR
UNLABELED BOND PADS.

3
LINEAR & POWER AMPLIFIERS - CHIP

Absolute Maximum Ratings

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.

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

3 - 19

HMC442
v03.1007

GaAs PHEMT MMIC MEDIUM

POWER AMPLIFIER, 17.5 - 25.5 GHz

Pad Descriptions

LINEAR & POWER AMPLIFIERS - CHIP

3 - 20

Pad Number

Function

Description

Vgg

Gate control for amplifier. Adjust to achieve Id of 85 mA.

Please follow MMIC Amplifier Biasing Procedure
Application Note.

RFIN

This pad is AC coupled

and matched to 50 Ohms.

Vdd

Power Supply Voltage for the amplifier. External bypass

capacitors of 100 pF and 0.01 F are required.

RFOUT

This pad is AC coupled

and matched to 50 Ohms.

Interface Schematic

Assembly Diagram

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

HMC442
v03.1007

GaAs PHEMT MMIC MEDIUM

POWER AMPLIFIER, 17.5 - 25.5 GHz

Mounting & Bonding Techniques for Millimeterwave GaAs MMICs

50 Ohm Microstrip transmission lines on 0.127mm (5 mil) thick alumina

thin film substrates are recommended for bringing RF to and from the chip
(Figure 1). If 0.254mm (10 mil) thick alumina thin film 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).

0.102mm (0.004) Thick GaAs MMIC

Wire Bond

0.076mm
(0.003)

RF Ground Plane

Microstrip substrates should brought as close to the die as possible in

order to minimize bond wire length. Typical die-to-substrate spacing is
0.076mm to 0.152 mm (3 to 6 mils).

0.127mm (0.005) Thick Alumina

Thin Film Substrate
Figure 1.

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.

0.102mm (0.004) Thick GaAs MMIC

Wire Bond
0.076mm
(0.003)

Cleanliness: Handle the chips in a clean environment. DO NOT attempt

to clean the chip using liquid cleaning systems.
RF Ground Plane

Static Sensitivity:
strikes.

Follow ESD precautions to protect against ESD

Transients: Suppress instrument and bias supply transients while bias

is applied. Use shielded signal and bias cables to minimize inductive
pick-up.

0.150mm (0.005) Thick

Moly Tab
0.254mm (0.010) Thick Alumina
Thin Film Substrate
Figure 2.

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 may have fragile air bridges and should not be touched
with vacuum collet, tweezers, or fingers.

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 flat.

LINEAR & POWER AMPLIFIERS - CHIP

The die should be attached directly to the ground plane eutectically or with
conductive epoxy (see HMC general Handling, Mounting, Bonding Note).

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 fillet is observed
around the perimeter of the chip once it is placed into position. Cure epoxy per the manufacturers schedule.

Wire Bonding
Ball or wedge bond with 0.025mm (1 mil) diameter pure gold wire. 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 <0.31mm (12 mils).

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

3 - 21