A Compact W-Band Dual-Channel Receiver Module

A very compact W-band dual-channel receiver module has been developed for use in active and passive high-resolution imaging systems. The WR-10 waveguide module contains two fully integrated heterodyne receiver MMICs which have been realized using a 0.1 mum InAlAs/InGaAs based depletion type metamorphic high electron mobility transistor (MHEMT) technology in combination with conductor-backed coplanar circuit topology (CBCPW) and cascode transistors, thus leading to a very low noise figure and high conversion gain at millimeter-wave frequencies. The MMICs consist of a two-stage low noise amplifier, a balanced resistive HEMT mixer, and a single-stage local oscillator (LO) buffer amplifier. To divide the LO-signal a magic-T was embedded in the WR-10 waveguide module. The assembled dual-channel front end achieved a conversion gain of 7 dB and a noise figure of 4 dB over the frequency range from 75 to 100 GHz with an LO-power of only -5 dBm