FM-CW radar on a single GaAs/AlGaAs HBT MMIC chip

A novel low-power FM-CW radar on a single chip has been implemented using GaAs/AlGaAs HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistor) technology. An innovative electronic circulator allows operation with a single antenna at C-band. In addition, the chip contains a voltage-controlled oscillator, transmitter amplifier, and receiver mixer with proper filtering. The chip measures 1*2*0.25 mm and operates from a single +5 V supply. In order to minimize cost, a process featuring a relaxed 3 mu m emitter size was used, achieving an f/sub t/ of 24 GHz. Via holes were not used. Potential applications for the chip include range and velocity discriminating fuzes, sensors, and altimeter functions.<
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