MAAD-011021-0GPDIE - M/A-COM Technology Solutions

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

1

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

1

Features

 6-bit, 0.5 dB LSB, 31.5 dB range

 DC to 40 GHz operation

 Integrated TTL 0/+5V control

 +/- 0.5 dB typical bit error

 Low RMS phase 4.3° @ 20 GHz

 Die size: 1.55 x 0.95 x 0.1 mm

 ESD protection for all controls and bias

 100% On-wafer DC & RF Tested

Description

The MAAD-011021 is a wide band 6-bit digital

attenuator covering DC to 40 GHz. The attenuation

bit-values are 0.5 dB LSB (least significant bit), 1, 2,

4, 8, and 16 dB for a total attenuation of 31.5 dB.

Attenuation error is typically less than +/- 0.5 dB,

RMS phase error is less than 5 degrees at 20 GHz,

and typical insertion loss is 7.1 dB at 15 GHz.

Return loss is typically 12 dB across all frequencies

and attenuation states.

The attenuator integrates an inverter to allow a

single control for series/shunt attenuation. Inverter

requires a -5 V supply (VCC) and 17 mA typical, logic

is 0 V / +5 V.

The device is also available in a lead-free 3 mm

16-lead PQFN plastic package; order part number

MAAD-011021-TR0500.

Ordering Information1

Part Number Package

MAAD-011021-0GPDIE Die in Gel Pack

MAAD-011021-DIESMB Die on Sample Board

* Restrictions on Hazardous Substances, European Union Directive 2011/65/EU.

Functional Schematic

Pad Configuration

Pad No. Pad Name Function

1 V1 0.5 dB bit control

2 V2 1 dB bit control

3 V3 2 dB bit control

4 V4 4 dB bit control

5 V5 8 dB bit control

6 V6 16 dB bit control

7 VCC -5 V Bias

8 RFIN RF Input

9 RFOUT RF Output

10 GND RF and DC Ground

11 Pad2 Back of die

10

8

1 2 3

7

9

654

0.5

dB

1

dB

2

dB

4

dB

8

dB

16

dB

VCC

GND

RFIN

GND

V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6

GND

RFOUT

GND

2. The pad on the backside of the die must be connected to RF,

DC and thermal ground.

1. All sample boards include 3 loose parts.

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

2

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

2

Electrical Specifications: TA = +25°C, VCC = -5 V, Z0 = 50 Ω (unless otherwise specified)

Parameter Test Conditions Units Min. Typ. Max.

Insertion Loss

DC - 20 GHz

20 - 40 GHz

10 GHz

20 GHz

30 GHz

dB —

6.4

8.8

6.0

7.0

8.0

—

7.0

8.0

9.0

Return Loss DC - 40 GHz dB — 15 —

Attenuation Bits

20 GHz

LSB: 0.5 dB

Bit 2: 1 dB

Bit 3: 2 dB

Bit 4: 4 dB

Bit 5: 8 dB

Bit 6: 16 dB

dB

0.3

0.7

1.7

3.6

7.0

16.0

0.4

0.9

1.8

3.8

8.0

17.4

0.5

1.0

1.9

4.0

9.0

19.0

Attenuation Error RMS DC - 20 GHz

20 - 40 GHz dB — 0.3

1.2 —

Phase Error RMS DC - 20 GHz

20 - 40 GHz deg — 2.6

7.2 —

Input P0.1dB DC - 40 GHz dBm — 24 —

Input IP3 DC - 40 GHz dBm — 38 —

Switching Time DC - 40 GHz ns — 45 —

Control Logic DC - 40 GHz V — 0/+5 —

Control Current each control bit @ +5 V mA — 6 —

Supply Current DC - 40 GHz mA — 17 45

Absolute Maximum Ratings3,4

Parameter Absolute Maximum

Input Power +35 dBm

Operating Voltage -5 V

Control Voltage 0 / +5 V

Operating Temperature -40°C to +85°C

Storage Temperature -65°C to +150°C

3. Exceeding any one or combination of these limits may cause

permanent damage to this device.

4. MACOM does not recommend sustained operation near

these survivability limits.

Handling Procedures

Please observe the following precautions to avoid

damage:

Static Sensitivity

Gallium Arsenide Integrated Circuits are sensitive

to electrostatic discharge (ESD) and can be

damaged by static electricity. Proper ESD control

techniques should be used when handling these

Class 1A devices.

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

3

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

3

Die Layout

Pad Size (x)

µm

Size (y)

µm

A - F 64 64

G, N 64 59

H, M 64 139

I, L 64 87

J 89 57

K 69 69

Bond Pad Opening Detail

Truth Table5,6

5. high = +5 V @ 5.7 mA, low = 0 V @ 1.0 mA.

6. Any combination of the above states will provide attenuation approximately equal to the sum of the bits selected.

V1

0.5 dB

V2

1 dB

V3

2 dB

V4

4 dB

V5

8 dB

V6

16 dB State

low low low low low low 0 dB

high low low low low low 0.5 dB

low high low low low low 1 dB

low low high low low low 2 dB

low low low high low low 4 dB

low low low low high low 8 dB

low low low low low high 16 dB

high high high high high high 31.5 dB

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

4

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

4

Typical Performance Curves

Insertion Loss

Maximum Input Return Loss (all states) Maximum Output Return Loss (all states)

P0.1dB Compression

Input IP3 (reference states) Noise Figure (reference states)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Frequency (GHz)

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

010 20 30 40 50

+25°C

-40°C

+85°C

Frequency (GHz)

20

22

24

26

28

30

010 20 30 40 50

+25°C

-40°C

+85°C

Frequency (GHz)

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

010 20 30 40 50

+25°C

-40°C

+85°C

Frequency (GHz)

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

010 20 30 40 50

+25°C

-40°C

+85°C

Frequency (GHz)

10

20

30

40

50

60

010 20 30 40 50

+25°C

-40°C

+85°C

Frequency (GHz)

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

5

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

5

Typical Performance Curves

Attenuation Relative Attenuation

RMS Attenuation Error RMS Phase Error

Relative Attenuation Error Relative Phase Error

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

010 20 30 40 50

REF

Bit 1

Bit 2

Bit 3

Bit 4

Bit 5

Bit 6

Frequency (GHz)

-20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

010 20 30 40 50

REF

Bit 1

Bit 2

Bit 3

Bit 4

Bit 5

Bit 6

Frequency (GHz)

0

5

10

15

20

25

010 20 30 40 50

Frequency (GHz)

-40

-20

0

20

40

010 20 30 40 50

REF

Bit 1

Bit 2

Bit 3

Bit 4

Bit 5

Bit 6

Frequency (GHz)

0

1

2

3

4

5

010 20 30 40 50

Frequency (GHz)

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

010 20 30 40 50

REF

Bit 1

Bit 2

Bit 3

Bit 4

Bit 5

Bit 6

Frequency (GHz)

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

6

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

6

Typical Performance Curves

Relative Attenuation Error (Bit 1, 2) Relative Phase Error (Bit 1, 2)

Relative Attenuation Error (Bit 3, 4) Relative Phase Error (Bit 3, 4)

Relative Attenuation Error (Bit 5, 6) Relative Phase Error (Bit 5, 6)

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

010 20 30 40 50

Bit 1

Bit 2

Frequency (GHz)

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

010 20 30 40 50

Bit 3

Bit 4

Frequency (GHz)

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

010 20 30 40 50

Bit 5

Bit 6

Frequency (GHz)

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

010 20 30 40 50

Bit 1

Bit 2

Frequency (GHz)

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

010 20 30 40 50

Bit 3

Bit 4

Frequency (GHz)

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

010 20 30 40 50

Bit 5

Bit 6

Frequency (GHz)

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

7

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

7

Typical Performance Curves

Step Error Between Successive States Switching Time

Phase Error over Attenuation States

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

5 GHz

10 GHz

20 GHz

30 GHz

Attenuation State (dB)

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

1 GHz

3 GHz

5 GHz

10 GHz

20 GHz

Attenuation State (dB)

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

-100 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Control Voltage (L)

S21 (R)

Time (ns)

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

8

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

8

The MAAD-011021 is designed for extremely wide

band and robust attenuation applications. It uses a

combination of series and shunt cold channel,

multiple-gate FETs to achieve high linearity and

accurate attenuation repeatability. We recommend

using double bonds at both RF input and output, as

well as keeping bondwires as short as possible to

ensure higher frequency operation. This part is the

most accurate for X-band applications.

The MAAD-011021 has a built in inverter function

which allows a single +5 V / 0 V single control for

each bit. This is useful if you require very fast

switching times and have +5 V / 0 V available.

The MAAD-011021 is DC-coupled at both RFIN and

RFOUT. If operation at DC is desired, 0 Ω jumpers

(or continuous 50 Ω RF lines) should be used in

series with RFIN and RFOUT. Customer should take

extra care to ensure that the voltage at both RFIN

and RFOUT are 0 V; excess voltage can damage the

part. If operation at DC is not required, simply use

series blocking capacitors.

Application Information

Applications Section

The Monolithic Circuit is designed for robust and

reliable usage. The die features complete

passivation on all critical areas as well as a

protective BCB die coat.

The die should be attached directly to the ground

plane with silver conductive epoxy for best results.

A true 50 Ω microstrip or co-planar waveguide is

recommended for bringing RF to and from the die

as shown in the demonstration board below. This

board uses 0.200 mm (8 mils) Rogers 4350 as the

top dielectric layer.

Alternatively one can mount the die directly to the

ground plane and launch with microstrip substrates

in either alumina or Rogers to the same level as

the top of the die, allowing for shorter bond wires.

The RF input and output pads are DC coupled.

Blocking capacitors are required if there is a DC

potential on either port.

Mounting and Bonding Techniques

PCB Layout

Sample board size above is 28 x 25 mm

Digital Attenuator, 6-Bit, 0.5 dB LSB step

DC - 40 GHz

Rev. V3

MAAD-011021-000DIE

9

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc. (MACOM) and its affiliates reserve the right to make changes to the product(s) or information contained herein without notice.

Visit www.macom.com for additional data sheets and product information.

For further information and support please visit:

https://www.macom.com/support

9

Information in this document is provided in connection with M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc ("MACOM")

products. These materials are provided by MACOM as a service to its customers and may be used for

informational purposes only. Except as provided in MACOM's Terms and Conditions of Sale for such products or

in any separate agreement related to this document, MACOM assumes no liability whatsoever. MACOM

assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in these materials. MACOM may make changes to

specifications and product descriptions at any time, without notice. MACOM makes no commitment to update

the information and shall have no responsibility whatsoever for conflicts or incompatibilities arising from future

changes to its specifications and product descriptions. No license, express or implied, by estoppels or otherwise,

to any intellectual property rights is granted by this document.

THESE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR

IMPLIED, RELATING TO SALE AND/OR USE OF MACOM PRODUCTS INCLUDING LIABILITY OR

WARRANTIES RELATING TO FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR

INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, MERCHANTABILITY, OR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY PATENT, COPYRIGHT OR

OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT. MACOM FURTHER DOES NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY

OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION, TEXT, GRAPHICS OR OTHER ITEMS CONTAINED WITHIN

THESE MATERIALS. MACOM SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST REVENUES OR LOST PROFITS,

WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS.

MACOM products are not intended for use in medical, lifesaving or life sustaining applications. MACOM

customers using or selling MACOM products for use in such applications do so at their own risk and agree to

fully indemnify MACOM for any damages resulting from such improper use or sale.