Investigation of Loading Effect on Power Performance for Planar Gunn Diodes Using Load-Pull Measurement Technique

• Published in: IEEE microwave and wireless components letters 2011-10, Vol.21 (10), p.556-558
• Main Authors: Chong Li, Lok, L. B., Khalid, A., Thayne, I. G., Cumming, D. R. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gunn devices; Gunn diodes; Impedance; impedance matching; load-pull measurement; Microwave and submillimeter wave devices, electron transfer devices; Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; Microwaves; Mixers; Noise levels; Oscillators; Oscillators, resonators, synthetizers; Probes; Radio frequencies; Radio frequency; S-parameters; Scattering parameters; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Tuners
• ISSN: 1531-1309; 2771-957X; 1558-1764; 2771-9588
• DOI: 10.1109/LMWC.2011.2163496

A one-port load-pull measurement has been carried out in order to investigate the effect of loading on the RF power performance of a planar Gunn diode operating in the transit-time mode at 102 GHz. A W-band manual E-H tuner was applied between a waveguide mixer and a wafer probe to vary the load impedance on the Gunn diode. It has been found that more than 25 dB variation of output power was obtained by systematically adjusting the tuner. By de-embedding the S-parameters of the probe, E-H tuner and mixer, the relationship between RF power and load impedance for the planar Gunn diode was derived. This method is extremely useful for assisting the design of matching networks to improve power output of one-port oscillator devices.