High Conversion Gain Q-band Active Sub-harmonic Mixer Using GaAs PHEMT

In this paper, we have designed and fabricated high conversion gain Q-band active sub-harmonic mixers for a receiver of millimeter wave wireless communication systems. The fabricated active sub-harmonic mixer uses 2nd harmonic signals of a low local oscillator (LO) frequency. The fabricated mixer was successfully integrated by using $0.1{\;}\mu\textrm{m}$GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistors (PHEMTs) and coplanar waveguide (CPW) structures. From the measurement, it shows that maximum conversion gain of 4.8 dB has obtained at a RF frequency of 40 GHz for 10 dBm LO power of 17.5 GHz. Conversion gain from the fabricated sub-harmonic mixer is one of the best reported thus far. And a phase noise of the 2nd harmonic was obtained -90.23 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset. The active sub-harmonic mixer also ensure a high degree of isolations, which are -35.8 dB from LO-to-IF and -40.5 dB from LO-to-RF, respectively, at a LO frequency of 17.5 GHz.