2003 · 12 citations · 0 references
EngineeringElectrical EngineeringMicroelectronicsMicrowave EngineeringSemiconductor DevicesHigh-frequency Semiconductor DevicesIntegrated Circuit DesignMicrowave Integrated CircuitsMicrowave Passive ComponentsMicrowave Semiconductor DevicesRadio-frequency Integrated CircuitsGaas Microwave Integrated CircuitsGaas Monolithic Microwave Integrated CircuitsInsertion LossMonolithic Microwave Integrated CircuitsRadio-frequency DevicesSignal AttenuationStanding Wave RatioVoltage Standing Wave Ratio
A description is given of monolithic GaAs p-i-n diode limiter circuits that have demonstrated 20 dB of variable attenuation at X-band and Ka-band while maintaining under 1.5:1 input voltage standing-wave ratio (VSWR). Insertion loss is 0.5-dB at 10 GHz and 1.4-dB at 36.5 GHz in the 0-mA bias condition. Passive limiting provides 7-dB of isolation at radio frequency (RF) powers up to 1.5 W (30% duty cycle). The process used to fabricate the variable attenuation limiter is compatible with FET circuits, allowing integration of other MMIC components on the same substrate for future single-chip radar front ends. Several of these circuits have been fabricated and RF tested. Fabrication, circuit design, and RF performance are discussed.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">></ETX>