Low distortion GaAs MESFET control components for baseband applications

A diode-gate biasing scheme that significantly increases the low-frequency power handling capability is presented. The biasing scheme uses a Schottky barrier diode (whose size is much smaller than the MESFET) in series with a 5-k Omega bias resistance and is easily implemented monolithically. The biasing circuit removes excess low-frequency distortion by requiring both positive and negative biases. The biasing scheme slightly reduces the low-frequency insertion loss, while the other switch characteristics remain relatively unaffected. The scheme has been successfully implemented in other control components.<>