Millimeter-wave monolithic GaAs IMPATT VCO

Abstract
A monolithic voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is described that was constructed using a GaAs double-drift Read IMPATT diode as the active element and a similar diode biased below breakdown as the varactor. The chip produced 120-mW peak power over an electronically controlled tuning range between 47 to 48 GHz. A computer analysis based on characterized circuit parameters was used to predict the performance of the chip. The key limiting factor in the power and tuning is the presence of large parasitic series resistance in the varactor. By utilizing a single-drift doping profile, improved performance can be expected.

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