A GaAs monolithic V-band receiver for space communications

摘要

A state-of-the-art V Band millimeter-wave agile receiver subsystem, consisting of an RF module and a phase-locked oscillator (PLO) module, has been designed, fabricated, and tested. All of the active circuits within this subsystem (with the exception of the operational amplifiers in the phase-locked loop) are GaAs MMICs. The RF module includes a 0.1 micron pseudomorphic HEMT-based LNA, a Schottky diode subharmonically pumped mixer and a 7.5 to 30 GHz LO multiplier/amplifier chain designed around a 0.25 x 400 micron power MESFET. The receiver module noise figure is 7.5 dB DSB maximum and the VSWR at the RF input port is less than 2:1. The PLO module includes a linear 7.5 GHz. VCO and other commercial MMIC chips which complete the phase-locked loop. In both modules, the MMIC chips have been assembled into light-weight, compact, laser scalable housings, making them attractive for use in space-based communication systems. In addition, the MMIC components have been put through and have passed a full round of radiation testing, including exposure to gamma and x-ray transient dose rates of 3 x 1012 and 5 x 1012 RAD(Si)/sec, respectively, as well as neutron and total dose tests.