By considering the loss of a practical millimetre-wave oscillator circuit, the variation of oscillator power with diode area for a constant junction temperature rise is examined, the results being scaled from measurements on a known device. It is concluded that the diode area for optimum oscillator power is a function of junction temperature rise and thus diodes for reliable oscillators will have different design criteria from devices giving the more spectacular results. Results are presented for silicon single and double-drift and gallium arsenide single drift IMPATT diodes over the 30-60 GHz range.

P W Huish

Papers

The Optimum Area for Millimetre-Wave Impatt Diodes