THE REQUIREMENT FOR HIGHER POWER AND MORE EFFICIENT MILLIMETER WAVE SOURCES FOR SMART MUNITIONS LEADS US TO SUGGEST GUNN DIODES AS AN AREA OF POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT.

THE REQUIREMENT FOR HIGHER POWER AND MORE EFFICIENT MILLIMETER WAVE SOURCES FOR SMART MUNITIONS LEADS US TO SUGGEST GUNN DIODES AS AN AREA OF POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT. WE PROPOSE TO INITIATE A RESEARCH PROGRAM WHICH WILL IDENTIFY AND CHARACTERIZE GAAS GUNN DIODE DESIGN AND FABRICATION IMPROVEMENTS FOR BOTH DISCRETE AND MONOLITHIC CONFIGURATIONS, LEADING TO THE FABRICATION AND EVALUATION OF DEVICES AND CIRCUITS BASED ON THESE STUDIES. PROPOSED AREAS OF RESEARCH INCLUDE: CONTACT METALIZATION, "NOTCHED" CATHODES, HETEROJUNCTION CONTACTS AND OTHER STRUCTURES RELATED TO HOT ELECTRON INJECTION AND/OR CURRENT LIMITING; GRADED DRIFT REGIONS, SUBSTRATE AND CONTACT GEOMETRIES, AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS OF EFFICIENT THERMAL DISSIPATION; AND CIRCUIT DESIGNS RELEVANT TO MONOLITHIC IMPLEMENTATIONS, INCLUDING RESONANT STRUCTURES, POWER COMBINING, AND THERMAL EFFICIENCY. EMPHASIS WILL BE GIVEN TO DEVELOPING 94 GHZ HIGH-POWER GUNN SOURCES APPROPRIATE TO THE MLRS-TGW OR SIMILAR SYSTEMS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY, PRODUCIBILITY, AND COST.