MMICs for the COMS (Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite) Ka Band Communications Transponder

摘要

This paper describes the MMICs developed for the Ka band satellite transponder for the COMS(Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite). Total 12 MMICs were developed for the Ka band transponder equipment to secure not only reliable and stable performances but also light and compact size. For the receiver, two 30 GHz low noise MMIC amplifiers, a 30 GHz driver amplifier, a 30/3GHz frequency down-conversion MMIC mixer and a 9/27 GHz MMIC frequency tripler were developed. A 3 GHz SPST MMIC switch was developed for on-board beam switching function. For the frequency upconverter, a 3 GHz medium power MMIC amplifier, a 3/20 GHz frequency up-conversion MMIC mixer and an 8/16 GHz MMIC doubler were developed and for the channel amplifier, a 20 GHz low noise MMIC amplifier and a 20 GHz variable MMIC attenuator were developed. Specially, the 30 GHz low noise MMIC amplifier at the receiver front-end exhibits 1.7 dB of noise figure, and the 3GHz SPST MMIC switch shows 60 dB of on-off isolation to secure high isolation between the signal paths, and the 20 GHz variable MMIC attenuator provides about 30 dB of dynamic gain control ranges. These MMICs were fabricated by using the NGST 0.15 μm GaAs pHEMT facility. The fabricated MMICs had been visually inspected according to the space level quality assurance program and currently under burn-in test.