A Review of Millimetre Wave Devices

Abstract

A review is given of recent improvements in the performance of power sources in the millimetre band, 30-300 GHz, corresponding to free space wavelengths from 1 cm down to 1 mm. Vacuum tube devices of interest include the magnetron, the TWT, the carcinotron or backward wave oscillator, the gyrotron or cyclotron resonance maser, and the recently discovered orbitron, which was demonstrated using an empty aluminium beer-can. Solid state sources have continued to make progress upwards in both frequency and power. Transferred electron devices using InP have produced 126 mW at 90 GHz, a level suitable for local oscillator applications, while Si impatts have demonstrated peak power of 13W at 94 GHz with 8% efficiency. The tunnett diode, a variation of the impatt in which tunnelling replaces avalanching, has shown useful power above 300 GHz.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1981
Accession Number
ADA109386

Entities

People

  • A. J. Grant

Organizations

  • Royal Signals and Radar Establishment

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • 5G Wireless Networks
  • Amplifiers
  • Backward Wave Oscillators
  • Cavity Resonators
  • Electric Fields
  • Electron Beams
  • Electron Tubes
  • Electrons
  • Energy
  • Energy Bands
  • Gunn Diodes
  • Gyrotrons
  • Impatt Diodes
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Millimeter Waves
  • Radio Frequency
  • Semiconductors

Fields of Study

  • Materials science
  • Physics

Readers

  • Electronics Engineering
  • Semiconductor Device Technology

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster