A 80-100 GHz image-reject passive-HEMT mixer

This paper describes a single-sideband, subharmonically pumped, passive-HEMT integrated circuit mixer developed for use in transceivers for point-to-point telecommunications in the 83-87 GHz band. The gallium arsenide (GaAs) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) can readily be fabricated using a standard commercial process. The mixer performs equally well for either up- or down- conversion. For RF signals in the range 80-100 GHz., the conversion loss is typically 20 dB with LO drive in the range 40-50 GHz. Under these conditions, high rejection of the undesired sideband (> 18 dB), relative to the desired signal, is achieved. For up-conversion, I dB compression of the mixer gain typically occurs at -12 dBm RF output power. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.