A GaAs DC-20 GHz SPDT absorptive switch

A GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) absorptive SPDT MESFET switch has been designed to operate from DC to 20 GHz. The circuit provides greater than 42-dB isolation and less than 3.3-dB insertion loss up to 20 GHz. The VSWR (voltage standing-wave ratio) of all ports is better than 2:1 over the entire frequency range. The circuit has performance close to PIN diode switches, but has several advantages such as operation to DC, fast switching speed, and low power needed to drive the MESFET switch. In addition to the absorptive switch, results on a variety of other designs are presented to demonstrate the versatility of MMIC MESFET switches. The ease of integration with other MMIC components is recognized as a valuable characteristic of MMIC MESFET switches.<
>