Passive GaN Mixers Hit A New Benchmark Of Linearity

Custom MMIC, a leading manufacturer of performance driven monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), is proud to announce a new technical brief illuminating their progress with reaching incredible limits of linearity with passive MMIC mixers using GaN Technology.

Over the past year, mixer experts at Custom MMIC have been exploring the use of gallium nitride (GaN) processes as the basis for extremely linear RF mixers. Deducing that the high linearity performance of GaN power amplifiers may cross-over to other critical microwave components, Custom MMIC engineers have gone through several iterations of GaN mixer technologies and typologies with several of their key foundry partners.

Ultimately, the fruits of their efforts have led to passive GaN mixer designs that surpass all gallium arsenide (GaAs) passive mixer designs in terms of the ratio of input third-order intercept point (IIP3) to local oscillator (LO) drive -- a figure-of-merit Custom MMIC is coining as Linear Efficiency. From S-band to K-band (2 GHz to 19 GHz) these new passive GaN mixers are demonstrating IIP3 figures well above 30 dBm, LO drive levels around 20 dBm, and linear efficiencies above 10 dB.

Download and read the tech brief, “Reach New Levels of Linearity in Passive Mixers with GaN Technology.” (http://www.custommmic.com/passive-mixers-gan-technology-tech-brief/)

About Custom MMIC

Custom MMIC is a leading manufacturer of performance driven monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). Embracing their customers’ challenges, the company offers both a growing portfolio of high-performance MMIC standard products and innovative custom-design services. Their engineering team is highly experienced in a broad range of III-V processes (e.g. GaAs, GaN, InP, InGaP) and has longstanding relationships with the leading foundries. Custom MMIC specializes in RF through millimeter-wave products serving diverse markets including wireless and wired communications, satellite, radar systems, cellular infrastructure and instrumentation. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in Chelmsford, MA. For more information, visit www.custommmic.com.