106‐GHz bandwidth InP DHBT linear driver with a 3‐V ppdiff swing at 80 GBd in PAM‐4

• Published in: Electronics letters Vol. 56; no. 14; pp. 691 - 693
• Main Authors: Hersent, R., Jorge, F., Duval, B., Dupuy, J.‐Y., Konczykowska, A., Riet, M., Nodjiadjim, V., Mismer, C., Blache, F., Kasbari, A., Ouslimani, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IET 01.07.2020
• Subjects: Engineering Sciences; Physics; large swing linear driver; modulator driver; indium phosphide (InP) double heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT); equaliser
• ISSN: 0013-5194; 1350-911X
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2020.0654

This Letter reports the design, fabrication and characterisation of a new differential linear driver, fabricated in the III-V Lab 0.7-urn:x-wiley:00135194:media:ell2bf07079:ell2bf07079-math-0001 emitter width indium phosphide (InP) double heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT) technology. Large-signal electrical characterisation shows 80-GBd symbol-rate four-level pulse amplitude (PAM-4) modulation conjugated with a driver output swing of 3-Vppdiff and a 0.74-W power consumption. Thus resulting in a 1.22-GBd driving efficiency, the highest in over 70-GBd drivers' state-of-the-art, at that date. Accordingly, S-parameter measurements of the standalone linear driver exhibit the highest gain-bandwidth product of 556 GHz, in that current state-of-the-art.