94/47-GHz regenerative frequency divider MMIC with low conversion loss

Abstract

A coplanar regenerative frequency divider monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) based on 0.15-/spl mu/m pHEMTs on GaAs for 94/47-GHz frequency conversion has been developed, achieving a bandwidth of 23% for stable division. A very low conversion loss of 2.5 dB was obtained with an input level of -2 dBm and a dc power consumption of 8 mW, without using additional buffer amplifiers. The frequency of operation can be tuned by a varactor diode in the feedback network over a 2.5-GHz range to compensate for technology variations. Various methods for the simulation of stable and unstable operation and bandwidth and conversion performance are presented, using accurate modeling of the active and passive components.