The influence of via hole inductance on millimetre-wave mixer performance

A novel method to eliminate the negative influence of the parasitic inductance of via holes on mixer performance is presented. The via hole inductance is resonated with an open stub for the millimetre-wave frequencies of the circuit. Detailed simulations of a pHEMT GaAs MMIC gate mixer predict a 2 dB higher conversion gain, and 4 dB reduction in LO power requirements for a circuit with resonated via holes in comparison to one with the classic form of via holes.