ACCELERATION-HARDENED MILLIMETER WAVE GUNN OSCILLATORS

NOVEL TECHNIQUES ARE PROPOSED FOR CONSTRUCTING W-BAND TRANSMITTER SOURCES FOR USE IN HYPERVELOCITY MODELS OF PROJECTILES. THE PROPOSED STUDY INVOLVES THE MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL DESIGN OF PLANAR, INTEGRATED GUNN DIODE OSCILLATORS WHICH CAN OPERATE DURING ACCELERATION GREATER THAN 100,000 G. THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THESE SOURCES ARE: PRINTED-CIRCUIT CONSTRUCTION; INDIUM PHOSPHIDE FUNDAMENTAL-MODE DESIGN; INTEGRAL ANTENNA/RADIATING ELEMENTS; AND RUGGEDIZED SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AND MOUNTING MECHANISMS. THE STUDY WILL FOCUS ON CRITICAL EVALUATION OF FAILURE MECHANISMS IN STANDARD OSCILLATORS, AND ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF HYPERACCELERATION ON VARIOUS CONSTITUENTS OF THE SOURCE. THE VULNERABLE ELEMENTS WILL BE MECHANICALLY REDESIGNED TO WITHSTAND THE REQUIRED SHOCK SPECIFICATIONS. SEVERAL CANDIDATE TOPOLOGIES WILL BE INVESTIGATED ANALYTICALLY TO DETERMINE THEIR PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS. BASED ON THIS AND OTHER PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF FEW "PROOF-OF-CONCEPT" MODELS WILL BE FABRICATED AND ELEVATED. LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING WILL BE CONDUCTED TO VERIFY THE VALIDITY OF ASSUMPTIONS AND DESIGN CONCEPTS. A DETAILED REPORT WILL BE PRODUCED TO PRESENT THE RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY.