A design procedure for tunnel diode microwave oscillators

Negative differential resistance (NDR) devices such as Esaki tunnel diodes or resonant tunnelling diodes are ideal for the realisation of high frequency oscillators. However, the oscillation frequency cannot usually be predicted precisely and the output power is quite weak. In this paper, a tunnel diode oscillator topology to which the conventional negative resistance oscillator methodology can be employed is shown to yield predictable oscillation frequencies, delivering the maximum possible output power. Methods for DC and RF characterization of NDR devices are also described.