A highly linear active mixer in Gallium Nitride on Silicon (GaN-on-Si) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology, operating in Ka-band for radar applications is introduced. It exhibits a local oscillator (LO) balanced topology of gate-pumped mixers based on high-electron mobility transistors (HEMT) and operates in down-conversion mode. Its design principles and the theoretical foundation of its linearity features resulting from both the high power handling capability of GaN-on-Si HEMTs and the corresponding high applied LO level are presented. An extensive characterization based on excitation of a prototype by broadband continuous wave signals and frequency modulated continuous wave signals validates both the analytical treatment of its linearity and the design of the prototype of the mixer. In the 35–40 GHz operating band, this prototype exhibits a state-of-the-art input referred third order intercept point that reaches 39.1 dBm, and a maximum input referred second order intercept point of 39.4 dBm, with a corresponding conversion gain of −5.2 dB, and LO level of 24 dBm.

A Highly Linear Ka-Band GaN-on-Si Active Balanced Mixer for Radar Applications / Cidronali A.; Pagnini L.; Collodi G.; Passafiume M.. - In: IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS. I, REGULAR PAPERS. - ISSN 1558-0806. - STAMPA. - 69:(2022), pp. 4453-4464. [10.1109/TCSI.2022.3193960]

A Highly Linear Ka-Band GaN-on-Si Active Balanced Mixer for Radar Applications

Cidronali A.
;
Pagnini L.
Membro del Collaboration Group
;
Collodi G.
Membro del Collaboration Group
;
Passafiume M.
Membro del Collaboration Group
2022

Abstract

A highly linear active mixer in Gallium Nitride on Silicon (GaN-on-Si) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology, operating in Ka-band for radar applications is introduced. It exhibits a local oscillator (LO) balanced topology of gate-pumped mixers based on high-electron mobility transistors (HEMT) and operates in down-conversion mode. Its design principles and the theoretical foundation of its linearity features resulting from both the high power handling capability of GaN-on-Si HEMTs and the corresponding high applied LO level are presented. An extensive characterization based on excitation of a prototype by broadband continuous wave signals and frequency modulated continuous wave signals validates both the analytical treatment of its linearity and the design of the prototype of the mixer. In the 35–40 GHz operating band, this prototype exhibits a state-of-the-art input referred third order intercept point that reaches 39.1 dBm, and a maximum input referred second order intercept point of 39.4 dBm, with a corresponding conversion gain of −5.2 dB, and LO level of 24 dBm.
2022
69
4453
4464
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Cidronali A.; Pagnini L.; Collodi G.; Passafiume M.
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/1286455
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