GALLIUM ARSENIDE (GAAS) IMPATT DIODES HAVE GENERATED MORE RF POWER AND HIGHER CONVERSION EFFICIENCIES BOTH IN THE PULSED AND CONTINUOUS WAVE OPERATING MODE AND DEMONSTRATED BETTER RADIATION HARDENING, THAN ANY OTHER EHF SOLID STATE POWER GENERATING

GALLIUM ARSENIDE (GAAS) IMPATT DIODES HAVE GENERATED MORE RF POWER AND HIGHER CONVERSION EFFICIENCIES BOTH IN THE PULSED AND CONTINUOUS WAVE OPERATING MODE AND DEMONSTRATED BETTER RADIATION HARDENING, THAN ANY OTHER EHF SOLID STATE POWER GENERATING DEVICE. HISTORICALLY, SUBSTANTIAL DIFFICULTIES HAVE CONFRONTED THE IMPATT DEVICE MANUFACTURERS IN ACHIEVING THEORETICAL PREDICTED PERFORMANCES WITH GOOD YIELD AND REPEATABILITY. CONSEQUENTLY THE COST AND AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTION QUANTITIES REMAINS A CONCERN FOR THE IMPATT DIODE END USERS OF BOTH THE INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT. TO EXPLOIT THE ADVANTAGES OF GAAS IMPATT DEVICES, LNR COMMUNICATIONS, INC., PROPOSES A PHASE I STUDY LEADING TO A PHASE II IMPLEMENTATION. THE STUDY OF THEORETICAL DESIGNS AND EXPERIMENTAL CONCEPTS WILL ADDRESS IMPATT TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS IN CURRENT EPITAXIAL MATERIAL GROWTH, IN WAFER-TO-WAFER UNIFORMITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY, IN COMPUTER AIDED LARGE SIGNAL SIMULATION OF IMPATT OPERATION, IN HIGH PERFORMANCE DEVICE YIELDS AND IN BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF SECOND ORDER PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS RELATING TO GAAS MATERIALS AND IMPATT DEVICES.