Wafer-type millimeter wave rectifiers

A wafer-type silicon point-contact rectifier and holder designed primarily for use as the first detector in millimeter wave receivers are described. Measurements made on a pilot production group of one hundred wafer rectifier units yielded the following average performance data at a wavelength of 5.4 millimeters: conversion loss, 7.2 db; noise ratio, 2.2; intermediate frequency output impedance 340 ohms. Methods of estimating the values of the circuit parameters of a point-contact rectifier are given in an Appendix.