GaAs spiral optical waveguides for delay-line applications

Spiral optical waveguides can be used to provide moderately long delays for a variety of microwave applications. A brief analysis of the performance limitations of spiral delay lines is presented, together with loss measurement data for spirals having air-equivalent lengths as long as 46 cm. It is shown that the present limitation to longer delay lengths is the straight-guide loss of GaAs/AlGaAs waveguides, and not bending or intersectional losses.<>     

Optical control of microwave signals using GaAs FETs

The distinct advantages of optical transmission systems and the increasing use of microwave frequencies within general communication systems, coupled with the ability to integrate microwave and optical components onto a single slice of gallium arsenide have stimulated considerable interest in the development of microwave optoelectronic systems. The paper reviews the electro-optic techniques for achieving direct optical control of microwave signals, and provides some insight into the historical development of the subject. The physical mechanisms involved in the interaction of optical and microwave signals are described through the consideration of photo-effects within microwave GaAs FETs. Current applications relevant to hybrid and monolithic constructions are given and the discussion extended to potential future developments     

Effect of gate engineering in submicron GaAs MESFET for microwave frequency applications

We present an approach of GaAs MESFET incorporating the gate engineering effect to improve immunity against the short channel effects in order to enhance the scaling capability and the device performance for microwave frequency applications. In this context, a physics-based model for I–V characteristics and various microwave characteristics such as transconductance, cut-off frequency and maximum frequency of oscillation of submicron triple material gate(TM) GaAs MESFET are developed. The reduced short channel effects have also been discussed in combined designs i.e. TM, DM and SM in order to show the impact of our approach on the GaAs MESFETs-based device design. The proposed analytical models have been verified by their good agreement with 2D numerical simulations. The models developed in this paper will be useful for submicron and microwave analysis for circuit design.     

Linewidth measurements of MEMS-based tunable lasers for phase-locking applications

We have used two techniques - the beat spectrum method and the frequency noise spectrum method - to measure linewidths of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based tunable external cavity lasers (ECLs) in the C-band (1527-1567 nm). The two techniques yield similar results, but the latter is able to measure narrow linewidths more accurately in the presence of frequency jitter. The MEMS-based ECL linewidths are found to be inversely proportional to output powers over a wide range of powers. At output powers of 12 dBm, the beat linewidth is no more than 30 kHz, corresponding to per-laser linewidths of about 15 kHz. We show that these lasers are suitable for coherent detection of quadrature phase-shift keying.     

Low-noise synthesis of microwave signals from an optical source

The low-noise synthesis of a harmonic comb of microwave frequencies using a 1 GHz femtosecond-laser-based synthesiser that is referenced to a cavity-stabilised laser is demonstrated. The residual phase noise is /spl sim/-110 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz offset from the 10 GHz harmonic. Phase noise is measured with an interferometric measurement system having low sensitivity to AM.     

GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor device and IC technology forhigh-performance analog and microwave applications

GaAs-AlGaAs n-p-n heterojunction bipolar transistor (GaAs HBT) technology and its application to analog and microwave functions for high-performance military and commercial systems are discussed. In many applications the GaAs HBT offers key advantages over the alternative advanced silicon bipolar and III-V compound field-effect-transistor (FET) approaches. TRW's GaAs HBT device and IC fabrication process, basic HBT DC and RF performance, examples of applications, and technology qualification work are presented and serve as a basis for addressing general capability issues. A related 3-μm emitter-up, self-aligned HBT IC process provides excellent DC and RF performance, with simultaneous gain-bandwidth product, f_T, and maximum frequency of oscillation, f_max, of approximately 20-40 GHz and DC current gain β≈50-100 at useful collector current densities ≈3-10 kA/cm², early voltage ≈500-1000 V, and MSI-LSI integration levels. These capabilities facilitate versatile DC-20-GHz analog/microwave as well as 3-6 Gb/s digital applications, 2-3 G sample/s A/D conversion, and single-chip multifunctions with producibility     

New optical microwave up-conversion solution in radio-over-fiber networks for 60-GHz wireless applications

A new method for generating optical microwave mixing based on the optical phase modulation and the fiber chromatic dispersion is further investigated. A theoretical approach based on the analysis of the optical field spectrum has lead to the evaluation of the mixing power and optimal fiber lengths of 60-GHz radio-over-fiber (RoF) networks. Results have shown adaptable fiber lengths to match the network specifications.     

Low-noise synthesis of microwave and millimetre-wave signals with optical frequency comb generator

The phase noise of a 20 GHz picosecond optical pulse train generated by a modulator-based optical frequency comb generator is analysed. The residual timing jitter is ⩾10 fs for Fourier frequencies from 10 Hz to 10 MHz. Photodetection of the optical pulse train provides millimetre-wave signals with similarly low residual jitter at 40, 60, and 80 GHz with applicable powers of 27.5, 210.5, and 213 dBm, respectively.     

星上光电振荡器的微波信号产生与转发研究

为了降低星上通信系统的质量和体积、增强系统的温度稳定性和抗电磁干扰能力,采用了一个新方法,将光电振荡器用作星上微波本振源,产生微波信号,利用光纤转发,将微波信号的产生、分配、传输与变频处理融为一个系统,并进行了理论分析和实验验证。结果表明,基于光电振荡器产生了11.5GHz的微波本振信号,通过光纤进行多路转发,其中第1路信号频率与本振源相同,相位噪声为-100.5dBc/Hz@10kHz,第2路信号频率为本振信号的2倍,相位噪声为-86.6dBc/Hz@10kHz。与传统电学方法相比,该方法有显著成效,可提高转发效率,减小系统体积和重量,增强系统抗干扰性和温度稳定性,提高系统的带宽和微波信号质量、降低卫星通信成本。     

光生和光传微波信号的动态色散补偿的一种新方法

为了提高光学方法远端产生的微波信号的质量,提出了一种新的动态色散补偿方法。它只利用一个可调谐激光器(TL)和一个群时延线的斜率随波长而变化的非线性啁啾光纤布拉格光栅(FBG)。从理论深入分析了方法的原理,并且设计了所需的非线性啁啾FBG,实验验证和分析了本文方法对长为100～150km链路色散动态补偿的可行性和性能。     

基于受激布里渊散射的微波光载波信号光谱检测

提出一种基于受激布里渊散射检测微波光载波信号光谱的方法。利用受激布里渊散射窄线宽的特性,解决了调制的微波信号频率低于常用的光谱分析仪分辨率时无法检测微波光载波信号光谱的问题,获得了较高的光谱检测分辨率。     

GaAs pHEMT-based technology for microwave applications in a volume MMIC production environment on 150-mm wafers

The establishment of a 150-mm (6-in) gallium arsenide (GaAs) facility is described together with the development of very high yielding and cost-effective semiconductor device technologies and a manufacturing capacity of over 40000 wafers/annum. The background to the demand for very high volumes of RF products for this market is discussed, together with the prospects for future growth. The paper describes recent process development by the utilization of a data-driven yield management system to support the delivery of high-quality RF products to customers. Finally, "end of line" DC and RF testing of finished 150-mm GaAs pHEMT foundry wafers is described, enabling scalar measurements of power, noise, and intermodulation products as well as vector measurements of S-parameters and noise parameters at frequencies of up to 40 GHz.     

GaAs HBT's for microwave integrated circuits

The status of the microwave GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology is reviewed. Microwave circuits for advanced military and commercial systems continue to increase their dependence on the performance, functionality, and cost of active components fabricated using solid-state technology. The performance advantages provided by GaAs HBT's, for several critical circuit applications, have stimulated a worldwide development activity. Progress in HBT device technology and microwave circuit applications has been extremely rapid because of the broad availability of III-V compound semiconductor epitaxial materials and prior experience with GaAs field-effect transistors (FET's) and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC's). The great flexibility of HBT's in microwave circuits makes them prime candidates for applications in complex multifunctional microwave/digital IC's in next-generation systems     

微波/光学植被散射模型及其在热带森林中的应用

建立了一个微波/光学合成散射模型来模拟森林植被层各组分的后向散射,模拟的后向散射系数与JERS-1 SAR和VNIR遥感测量数据的相关系数(R2)为0.81,均方根误差为0.96dB,大部分余差都分布在士ldB之间.结果表明,微波与光学遥感数据结合可以提高热带森林生物量估测的准确度.     

High-performance GaAs MESFETs with advanced LDD structure fordigital, analog, and microwave applications

GaAs MESFETs with advanced LDD structure have been developed by using a single resist-layered dummy gate (SRD) process. The advanced LDD structure suppresses the short channel effects, and reduces source resistance, while maintaining a moderate breakdown voltage. The 0.3-μm enhancement-mode devices exhibit a transconductance of 420 mS/mm, while the breakdown voltage of the depletion-mode device (V_th=-500 mV) is larger than 6 V. The standard deviation of the threshold voltage for 0.3-μm devices is less than 30 mV across a 3-in wafer. The 0.3-μm devices exhibit an average cutoff frequency of 47.2 GHz with a standard deviation of 1.3 GHz across a 3-in wafer. The cutoff frequency of a 0.15-μm device is as high as 72 GHz. D-type flip-flop circuits for digital IC applications and preamplifier for analog IC applications fabricated with 0.3-μm gate length devices operate above 10 Gb/s. In addition, the 0.3-μm devices also show good noise performance with a noise figure of 1.1 dB with associated gain of 6.5 dB at 18 GHz. These results demonstrate that GaAs MESFETs with an advanced LDD structure are quite suitable for digital, analog, microwave, and hybrid IC applications     

High tangential signal sensitivity GaAs planar doped barrier diodes for microwave/millimeter-wave power detector applications

Tangential signal sensitivity (TSS) of GaAs planar doped barrier (PDB) detector diodes as low as -55 dBm at 35 GHz has been achieved. In comparison with that of reported devices, this value is 6-dBm better, implying the diodes can detect much lower power hence widening the dynamic range of microwave/millimeter-wave power detectors.     

GaAs dual-gate Schottky-barrier FET's for microwave frequencies

The benefits inherent in the tetrode structure and the potential of GaAs are combined to realized a dual-gate FET with low noise and a wide dynamic range at microwave frequencies. A design theory of the dual-gate FET is constructed on the basis of the Lehovec-Zuleeg model for single-gate FET's. The theory has led to a new device structure having a second gate with a deeper pinchoff voltage than the first which shows improved gain and noise performance. Also derived is the importance of minimizing parasitic feedthrough due, for example, to packages. Samples were fabricated using n-type epitaxial GaAs. The first and second gates were Schottky barriers, 1.2 and 2.5 µm long. The improved channel structure was accomplished by reducing the thickness of the epitaxial layer under the first gate. Samples were mounted and characterized in specially designed small-size ceramic packages with a feedthrough capacitance of only 0.004 pF. The possibility of gain control by means of second gate bias over a wide bandwidth is demonstrated.