Journal article
A comprehensive study of cryogenic cooled millimeter-wave frequency multipliers based on GaAs Schottky-barrier varactors
Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark1
Electromagnetic Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark2
Center for Hyperpolarization in Magnetic Resonance, Centers, Technical University of Denmark3
Center for Magnetic Resonance, Department of Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark4
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center5
Virginia Diodes, Inc.6
The benefit of cryogenic cooling on the performance of millimeter-wave GaAs Schottky-barrier varactor-based frequency multipliers has been studied. For this purpose, a dedicated compact model of a GaAs Schottky-barrier varactor using a triple-anode diode stack has been developed for use with a commercial RF and microwave CAD tool.
The model implements critical physical phenomena such as thermionic-field emission current transport at cryogenic temperatures, temperature dependent mobility, reverse breakdown, self-heating, and high-field velocity saturation effects. A parallel conduction model is employed in order to include the effect of barrier inhomogeneities which is known to cause deviation from the expected I--V characteristics at cryogenic temperatures.
The developed model is shown to accurately fit the I--V --T dataset from 25 to 295 K measured on the varactor diode stack. Harmonic balance simulations using the model are used to predict the efficiency of a millimeter-wave balanced doubler from room to cryogenic temperatures. The estimation is verified experimentally using a 188 GHz balanced doubler cooled down to 77 K.
The model has been further verified down to 14 K using a 78 GHz balanced doubler.
Language: | English |
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Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Year: | 2018 |
Pages: | 1-10 |
ISSN: | 17590795 and 17590787 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1017/S1759078717001490 |
ORCIDs: | Johansen, Tom Keinicke , Rybalko, Oleksandr and Zhurbenko, Vitaliy |