A 10-bit, 500 MS/s analog-to-digital converter

High-speed, high-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are key components for advanced digital receivers and high-speed instruments. A 10-bit ADC was designed and fabricated with a production AlGaAs-GaAs Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT) technology. Sampling at 500 MS/s, the fabricated ADCs showed 8 effective-number-of-bits (ENOBs) and >65 dB spur-free-dynamic-range (SFDR) for a 49 MHz input signal.