A high‐power MMIC VCO utilizing metamorphic HEMT technology

A high-power monolithic microwave integrated circuit voltage controlled oscillator (MMIC VCO) that can drive optical devices such as an electro-absorption and an electro-optic modulators is presented. A common-gate metamorphic HEMT (MHEMT) with 0.2 mm of gate width in conjunction with inductive feedback was used to generate negative resistance. The low-loss coplanar waveguide transmission line on the 650 μm-thick metamorphic GaAs substrate was utilized to minimize loss. The maximum generated output power of the MHEMT VCO was 40.1 mW at 24.1 GHz when biased at Vds = 3.8 V and Vgs = −0.44 V. Phase noise and frequency tuning range were estimated to be −93.4 dBc/Hz at 1 M Hz offset and 1 GHz, respectively. Experimental results show great promise for the MHEMT MMIC VCO to be used in future high-power microwave source applications especially for driving optical devices. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 2221–2224, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22702

[1]  Jong-In Song,et al.  Simultaneous all-optical frequency downconversion technique utilizing an SOA-MZI for WDM radio over fiber (RoF) applications , 2006, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[2]  A. Koonen,et al.  Bidirectional radio-over-fiber link employing optical frequency multiplication , 2006, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[3]  Tatsuo Itoh,et al.  Tunable active bandpass filters using three-terminal MESFET varactors , 1992, 1992 IEEE Microwave Symposium Digest MTT-S.

[4]  K. Johnson.  Large Signal GaAs MESFET Oscillator Design , 1979 .

[5]  Y. Takimoto,et al.  Research activities on millimeter wave indoor communication systems in Japan , 1993, 1993 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[6]  U. Lott,et al.  Monolithic V-band high power and varactor tunable HEMT oscillators , 1995, Proceedings of the 3rd IEEE International Workshop on High Performance Electron Devices for Microwave and Optoelectronic Applications, EDMO 95.

[7]  Oya Sevimli,et al.  GaAs HEMT monolithic voltage-controlled oscillators at 20 and 30 GHz incorporating Schottky-varactor frequency tuning , 1998 .

[8]  R. T. Webster,et al.  Determination of InP HEMT noise parameters and S-parameters to 60 GHz , 1995 .