A production ready, 6-18-GHz, 5-b phase shifter with integratedCMOS compatible digital interface circuitry

A producible, high-yield, monolithic 6-18-GHz, 5-b phase shifter with integrated standard CMOS compatible digital interface circuitry has been developed for use over the -55 to +90°C temperature range. Differential phase shift is achieved using high-pass and low-pass filter structures. The integrated digital interface circuitry produces complementary outputs that are used to bias the phase-shifter bits. The integration of the digital interface circuitry, made with microwave FETs, reduced the phase-shifter bit control bias lines by a factor of 2. The phase shifter was fabricated at both Raytheon's and Texas Instruments' GaAs foundries in production quantities using a standard microwave process. Complete on-wafer RF tests were performed to screen the phase-shifter circuits and determine electrical yield. The phase shifter has an r.m.s. phase error <10° from 6.5 to 18 GHz, maximum insertion loss of 14 dB, and an r.m.s. amplitude error <0.8 dB over the 6-18-GHz band