A reliable fifteen-percent-efficiency Silicon double-drift-region IMPATT diode

This letter describes the development of a medium-power high-efficiency high-reliability double-drift-region silicon IMPATT diode intended for use in telecommunication satellites at 11-13 GHz. The design is based on large-signal computer simulations. The highest efficiency obtained is 15.1 percent. A pilot reliability test has accumulated 7700 dc device hours at 270°C with no failures. During screening, 6000 RF device hours with no failures at approximately 180°C were also noted.