This project addresses the combination of new devicetechnology, detailed device modeling, and new circuit techniques forsmall, Earth-terminal, low-cost, Ka-band receivers. The development ofboth GaAa and silicon-bipolar MMICs are key to cost improvement in thesesystems, but hybrid solutions for selected components can still be costeffective when there is a performance benefit. The microwave device andrelated assembly costs are only a part of the total which includessignificant mechanical costs and the cost of an input isolator. In thisproject, a combination of device and circuit design will focus on thesimplification of microwave hardware to retain the high performancelevels required of a 20 GHz, low-noise receiver while eliminating theneed for an input isolator normally used to provide input impedancematch. Specifically, 0.1-micron-gate- length, pseudomorphic HEMTs, whichoffer superior noise and gain performance, will be used in feedbackcircuit designs which provide simultaneous noise- and signal-matchthrough feedback techniques.Applications would be in 20-GHz, low-noise receivers for satellite andterrestrial communication systems.low noise receivers, GaAs microwave circuits, satellite communications,pseudomorphic HEMTs, feedback circuit designSTATUS: Phase I Only
