Monolithic planar doped barrier subharmonic mixer
US4563773A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 12, 1984 |
| Grant date | Jan 7, 1986 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 12, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03D2200/0017
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A single planar doped barrier diode is grown by the selective deposition of gallium arsenide using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) in the center of a gallium arsenide dielectric waveguide member mounted on a ground plane. The waveguide member includes two portions which extend in opposite directions and terminating in respective metal to dielectric waveguide transition sections which are coupled to an RF input signal and local oscillator signal, respectively. The planar doped barrier diode operates as an intrinsic subharmonic mixer and accordingly the local oscillator signal has frequency of one half the input signal frequency. An IF output signal is coupled from the mixer diode to a microstrip transmission line formed on an insulating layer fabricated on the ground plane. Dielectric waveguide isolators are additionally included on the dielectric waveguide segments to mutually isolate the input signal and local oscillator signal. A monolithic form of circuit fabrication is thus provided which allows the planar doped barrier mixer circuit to be extremely small and the cost of mass producing such a circuit to be very economical.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.