Design of low-cost 183 GHz subharmonic mixers for commercial applications

Techniques are presented for designing fixed-tuned millimetre-wave components with the least number of parts to minimise the cost and maximise the potential for volume manufacture. Design techniques for millimeter-wave mixer components targeted at potentially high volume applications, such as medical and security screening and nondestructive testing, require certain compromises in the use of CAD tools. The compromise techniques are demonstrated using commercially available foundry diodes in the design of a 183 GHz subharmonic mixer for earth observation applications. The resulting mixer exhibits 6.85 dB double sideband conversion loss and a mixer temperature of 988 K using 5 mW of local oscillator power at 92 GHz.

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