Microwave and Millimeter Wave Semiconductor Devices

Abstract

Steady progress has been made this past year in nearly all microwave semiconductor technologies. Improvements in power, frequencies of operation, noise characteristics and perhaps most important at this time, reliability, have been made with GaAs FETs, GaAs Impatts, Silicon Impatts, and InP Gunn diodes. The latest state of the art as well as commercially available performance levels of each of these devices will be discussed. Both areas of microwaves and millimeter wave semiconductor devices will be covered as new millimeter wave systems requirements are pushing this technology to the forefront of development. The area of high peak powers with high average power have given an impetus to the renewed development of GaAs Impatts. Power combining techniques with these Impatts have led to replacement of medium power tubes. Present performance characteristics in single and combined technologies will be given. The expected trend for these "standard" devices over the next several years will be forecast along with a discussion of some new potential device technologies.