HBT amplifiers boast high linearity

DIGITAL wireless communications systems have pushed the limits of high-freq uency technology while operating under severe price constraints. The amplif iers for these systems, for example, must be inexpensive yet provide genero us gain with high linearity. The amplifiers must also be extremely reliable , since wireless customers expect no less from their services. These seemin gly unrealistic requirements are met through smart design practices and con trolled manufacturing processes, a combination that has led to the developm ent of a family of medium-power, heterojunction-bipolar-transistor (HBT) am plifiers from EiC Corp. (Fremont, CA). The amplifiers provide better than 1 5-dB gain and more than +18-dBm output power through 3 GHz.