Investigation of a New Concept in Semiconductor Microwave Oscillators.
Abstract
The goal of this project is to demonstrate the operation of a new millimeter wave source called a 'contiguous'. This device uses the transferred electron effect in GaAs to form contiguous charge domains in the channel of a resistive gate MESFET or MODFET. The resulting drain current exhibits microwave oscillations in the range from a few GHz to a few hundred GHz. The oscillation is not based on a transit time effect, and as a result the frequency can be tuned over a broad band during operation by adjusting the gate-to-source voltage. During the past year we fabricated eight wafers of MESFET-type oscillator devices. Of the six wafers that reached the end of the process, four produced devices which were functional at DC test. The most recent wafer contained thirty six working devices. We have acquired equipment to conduct microwave measurements up to 90 GHz, which should be satisfactory for initial testing. During the next few months we expect to perform the microwave characterization which will verify the contiguous domain concept.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 31, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA181219
Entities
People
- James A. Cooper Jr.
Organizations
- Purdue University