A High-Power 105–120 GHz Broadband On-Chip Power-Combined Frequency Tripler

Abstract

We report on the design, fabrication and characterization of a high-power and broadband 105–120 GHz Schottky diode frequency tripler based on a novel on-chip power combining concept that allows superior power handling than traditional approaches. The chip features twelve anodes on a 50 $\mu{\rm m}$ thick GaAs substrate. At room temperature, the tripler exhibits a 17% 3 dB bandwidth and a $\sim 30\%$ peak conversion efficiency for a nominal input power of around 350–400 mW, and $\sim 20\%$ efficiency for its maximum operational input power of 800–900 mW. This tripler can deliver maximum power levels very close to 200 mW. The on-chip power-combined frequency tripler is compared with a traditional tripler designed for the same band using the same design parameters.