LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 168
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
GaAs HEMT MMIC LOW NOISE
AMPLIFIER, 35 - 45 GHz
v02.0209
General Description
Features
Functional Diagram
Noise Figure: 2 dB
Gain: 16 dB @ 40 GHz
P1dB Output Power: +6 dBm
Supply Voltage: +4V @ 87 mA
Die Size: 2.7 x 1.44 x 0.1 mm
Electrical Speci cations*, TA = +25° C, Vdd= +4V
Typical Applications
This HMC-ALH376 is ideal for:
• Point-to-Point Radios
• Point-to-Multi-Point Radios
• Test Equipment & Sensors
• Military & Space
The HMC-ALH376 is a GaAs MMIC HEMT three
stages, self-biased Low Noise Ampli er die
which operates between 35 and 45 GHz. The
ampli er provides 16 dB of gain, a 2 dB noise
gure and +6 dBm of output power at 1 dB gain
compression while requiring only 87 mA from a single
+4V supply. This self-biased LNA is ideal for integ-
ration into hybrid assemblies or Multi-Chip-Modules
(MCMs) due to its small size (3.9 mm).
HMC-ALH376
Parameter Min. Typ. Max. Min. Typ. Max. Units
Frequency Range 35 - 40 40 - 45 GHz
Gain 15 16 10 12 dB
Noise Figure 2 3 2.2 3 dB
Input Return Loss 10 17 dB
Output Return Loss 16 18 dB
Output Power for 1 dB Compression 6 6 dBm
Supply Current (Idd) (Vdd= +4V) 87 87 mA
*Unless otherwise indicated, all measurements are from probed die
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 169
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20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373
Order On-line at www.hittite.com
HMC-ALH376
v02.0209
GaAs HEMT MMIC LOW NOISE
AMPLIFIER, 35 - 45 GHz
Noise Figure vs. Frequency
Output Return Loss vs. Frequency
Linear Gain vs. Frequency
Input Return Loss vs. Frequency
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
35 37 39 41 43 45
RETURN LOSS (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
0
1
2
3
4
5
35 37 39 41 43 45
NOISE FIGURE (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
35 37 39 41 43 45
RETURN LOSS (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
0
5
10
15
20
25
35 37 39 41 43 45
GAIN (dB)
FREQUENCY (GHz)
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 170
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-ALH376
v02.0209
GaAs HEMT MMIC LOW NOISE
AMPLIFIER, 35 - 45 GHz
Outline Drawing
Absolute Maximum Ratings
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”
Drain Bias Voltage +5.5 Vdc
RF Input Power (35 - 40 GHz) -5 dBm
RF Input Power (40 - 45 GHz) -1 dBm
Channel Temperature 180 °C
Storage Temperature -65 to +150 °C
Operating Temperature -55 to +85 °C
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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Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Pad Number Function Description Interface Schematic
1RFIN This pad is AC coupled
and matched to 50 Ohms.
2Vdd
Power Supply Voltage for the ampli er. See assembly for
required external components.
3RFOUT 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-ALH376
v02.0209
GaAs HEMT MMIC LOW NOISE
AMPLIFIER, 35 - 45 GHz
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
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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
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 0.5mil ribbons on input and output.
HMC-ALH376
v02.0209
GaAs HEMT MMIC LOW NOISE
AMPLIFIER, 35 - 45 GHz
LOW NOISE AMPLIFIERS - CHIP
1
1 - 173
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 accom-
plish 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 placed 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).
Handling Precautions
Follow these precautions to avoid permanent damage.
Storage: All bare die are placed in either Waffle or Gel based ESD pro-
tective 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 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
RF bonds made with 0.003” x 0.0005” ribbon are recommended. These bonds should be thermosonically bonded
with a force of 40-60 grams. DC bonds of 0.001” (0.025 mm) diameter, thermosonically bonded, are recommended.
Ball bonds should be made with a force of 40-50 grams and wedge bonds at 18-22 grams. All bonds should be made
with a nominal stage temperature of 150 °C. A minimum amount of ultrasonic energy should be applied to achieve
reliable bonds. All bonds should be as short as possible, less than 12 mils (0.31 mm).
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-ALH376
v02.0209
GaAs HEMT MMIC LOW NOISE
AMPLIFIER, 35 - 45 GHz