EFFICIENT WIDEBAND IMPATT-DIODE POWER COMBINERS FOR EHF APPLICATIONS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM WILL BE TO DEVELOP CIRCUIT LEVEL IMPATT-DIODE COMBINERS AT EHF WHICH HAVE THE BANDWIDTH AND STABILITY PROPERTIES AVAILABLE FROM CONVENTIONAL HYBRID ARRAYS WHILE PROVIDING THE SIZE AND COMBINING EFFICIENCY ATTRIBUTES ASSOCIATED WITH N-WAY KUROKAWA-TYPE RESONANT CAVITIES. CONCEPTS FOR UNIQUE, BROADBAND TWO-AND FOUR-DIODE CIRCUIT LEVEL COMBINERS WHICH MAKE OPTIMUM USE OF SYMMETRY FOR MODE STABILIZATION AND REDUCED LOSS ARE EXPECTED TO HALVE BOTH THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF EXISTING DESIGNS, PERMITTING HIGHER POWER PER UNIT VOLUME, REDUCING MANUFACTURING COSTS WITH FEWER HIGH TOLERANCE PARTS AND ENHANCING RELIABILITY THROUGH INCREASED COMBINING EFFICIENCY. THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL PROVIDE LOW COST, HIGH PERFORMANCE,RELIABLE MILLIMETER-WAVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR CURRENT AND PLANNED COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY SYSTEMS. THE PHASE I EFFORT WOULD BUILD ON OUR CURRENT EHF COMBINING TECHNOLOGY WHICH HAS PROVIDED HIGH POWER STABLE AMPLIFICATION FROM HYBRID-COMBINED, EFFICIENT IMPATT CIRCUITS OVER A 5 PERCENT BANDWIDTH AROUND 44 GHZ.