Millimetre-wave frequency tripling using stacked heterostructure-barrier varactors on InP

摘要

Heterostructure-barrier varactors (HBVs) reported previously had limited power output. By using a pseudomorphic In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As-AlAs-In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As barrier with good current blocking characteristics and stacking three MBE-grown varactor layers, we achieve a symmetric stacked varactor on InP with low leakage and high breakdown voltage (/spl sim/14 V). Tripler experiments at Ka band using these varactors give 20 dBm output with 7 dB conversion loss using a waveguide multiplier, and 10.8 dBm with 11 dB conversion loss using a microstrip circuit. These are the first HBVs to demonstrate reduced device capacitance per unit area and freedom from resistive tripling effects.