GaAs PHEMT CHIP SETS AND IC PROCESSES FOR HIGH-END FIBER OPTIC APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Continuous improvement of high bit rate fiber optic networking up to 40 Gb/s, results in increased demand for III/V ICs offering ever lower current input noise, higher output voltage swing, lower jitter and lower DC power consumption. Using production E/D and power sub 0,2 μm GaAs PHEMT processes, transimpedance amplifiers have been developed enabling optical input sensitivity as good as -25 dBm at 2.5 Gb/s and -20 dBm at 40 Gb/s. Similarly laser and modulator drivers have been fabricated with jitter as low as 1,8 ps rms at 10 Gb/s and over 7 V output swing up to 40 GHz. Future generations of products will be implemented using sub 0,1 μm processes based on E/D and power GaAs MHEMTs as well as InP HEMTs maintaining a long tern performance edge over the Silicon counterparts.