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

摘要

This paper describes the MMIC product qualification of the Ka band satellite transponder for the COMS (Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite). Ka-band active equipment for the COMS communications transponder are being developed by using 12 kinds of MMICs which include low noise amplifiers, medium power amplifiers, frequency mixers, frequency multipliers, RF switch, and HEMT attenuator MMIC. Those MMICs had been fabricated at the MMIC production foundry of Northrop Grumman Space Technology (Velocium) qualified as the foundry to manufacture MMICs operating in the space environment and experienced in various space programs during past decades. For the MMIC product qualification, Visual inspection and SEM inspection had been performed, and burn-in test for 240 hours and accelerated life-test for 1000 hours had been done on test fixtures of individual MMIC products at 125℃. Additionally, infrared temperature scanning and finite element simulation were performed to analyze and confirm the channel temperature of semiconductor devices on several representatives of those MMIC products that is one of the most important factors in performance degradation and life reduction.