Diode characterization in a microstrip measurement system for high power microwave power transmission

A method has been devised to experimentally characterize a packaged diode by insertion in a microstrip test mount. The diode was shunt-mounted to the ground plane where a network analyzer measured the scattering parameters from the two-port test fixture. The equivalent circuit parameters were extracted from the measured data. A large signal measurement using the same test mount has also been configured to determine the power conversion efficiency from RF to DC as well as to determine the embedded network impedance of the diode. Experimental characterization, conversion efficiencies, and input impedance of a GaAs Schottky barrier diode are presented. The method is quite general and can be used for characterizing solid-state devices for other applications.<>