GaAs MMIC phase locked source

A MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) SPD (sampling phase detector) was successfully designed, tested, and integrated into a phase-lock source. The MMIC SPD was simulated using SPICE, designed and fabricated as a 48-mil*96-mil die. The active devices are 100- mu m FETs with 0.5- mu m gate lengths for the preamplifier and detector diodes. Phase-lock source circuits were built and tested using both a MMIC and a bipolar VCO (voltage-controlled oscillator). The size, power consumption, and noise performances are exceptional compared to conventional approaches.<
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