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Japan’s NTT Corp. Develops an Ultra-Compact Baseband Amplifier IC Module.

Written by Stephen Vicinanza

Japan’s NTT Corp. develops an ultra-compact baseband amplifier IC module. The Nippon Telephone and Telegraph company has announced the development of an IC module with an ultra-broadband performance of 100GHz.

The technology is set to be used in future all-photonics networks, such as IOWN and 6G. This IC can be used in fields achieving cutting-edge measurements that will require an ultra-broadband signal amplifier function rid of distortion.

To meet the necessary requirements to achieve this functionality engineers at NTT applied InP-based heterojunction bipolar transistor (inP HBT) technology to improve the performance of the amplifier IC. Along with the improved transistor function was the package mounting technology that incorporates a DC Block function with 100GHz bandwidth. This became a first for electronics as the system was an ultra-compact amplifier IC module.

The results of this innovative build enable ultra-high-speed optical communication within the IOWN network and state-of-the-art measurement applications.

The research background on this IC Module comes directly out of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the digital transformation of so many services that online traffic is growing at an enormous rate.

The optical network from NTT, IOWN, will require transmission speeds beyond 2 Terabits per second along with a baseband amplifier IC module that can amplify the signal. In the areas that support such advanced research, namely experimentation, and measurement, the need for ultra-broadband and compact electric amplifiers is already present and growing steadily.

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NTT, to date, has built a prototype of such an ultra-broadband baseband amplifier IC module with a 1mm coaxial connector. The scientists working on this project have already demonstrated the first-ever optical transmission exceeding 2 terabits per second. In a statement, the company reported that previous prototype modules have been larger and required external DC block parts in order to connect to the front and rear devices.

The way to accomplish this first time 2 terabit per second optical transfer NTT increased the performance of the amplifier ICs by using InP HBT technology. The company also advanced package mounting technology and realized the world’s first ultra-compact amplifier IC that accomplishes combined ultra-wideband performance at 100GHz and full DC block function integration.

InP HBT Technology
Baseband amplifier IC module (a) Configuration block diagram (b) Photo (c) Frequency characteristics

To discover more about the NTT Ultra-compact baseband amplifier IC Module see the NTT R&D website product page here.

Nippon Telephone and Telegraph | group.ntt

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For the past 8 years, I have been writing about embedded technologies, added to my technical, academic, and medical editorial experience, with companies like Elsevier and Cambridge University Press. I tell people to read what I write, not try to pronounce my last name. I am always available for comments and suggestions you can reach me at product-editor@circuitcellar.com and I promise I will take the time to reach back out to you. I live in the North East with my wonderful family.

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Japan’s NTT Corp. Develops an Ultra-Compact Baseband Amplif…

by Stephen Vicinanza time to read: 2 min