Millimeter-Wave Converters for Satellite Communications Systems

The product to be developed is a family of low-cost highly- integrated MMIC up and down-converters for satellite communications above k-band. Gallium-arsenide converter chips are made possible by the development of K and Ka-band balanced MMIC mixers with high LO isolation from RF and IF ports and high spurious harmonic suppresion that allow integration of the mixer with other converter functions (e.g. amplifiers and filters) onto a single chip. The Hittite balanced mixer design approach is based on a novel method of implementing passive baluns and transformers on chip at high frequencies. A 12 to 18 GHz MMIC mixer utilizing this design approach has achieved low conversion loss, high isolations, DC to 6 GHz IF bandwidth, 25 dBm 3rd order (input) intercept point and typical RF circuit yields of 80%. A design for higher frequency, 20 to 40 GHz mixers will be developed using this new mixer topology and advanced design technologies, PHEMT, HBT as well as MESFET.