Low-cost, high-burnout self-oscillating mixers

The characteristics of a millimeter-wave image guide integrated self-mixing oscillator are shown to be crucial in meeting the low cost, high-volume production requirements of such applications as short-range remote sensors, secure communications, electronic seekers and ordnance fusing. The image guide InP Gunn self-mixer is believed able to meet all sensitivity, miniaturization and low cost requirements. Experimental data indicates that the InP device can be an order of magnitude more sensitive than GaAs devices already employed on prototype binocular radios and FMCW short-range radars. The cutoff frequency for the transferred electron effect is theoretically predicted to be a factor or two higher for InP than GaAs. In general, the InP semiconductor material possesses intrinsic properties that makes it a superior material for the fabrication of millimeter-wave devices.