Estimation of Influence of Technological Factors on Technological Variation of Assignment Indicators of Frequency Mixers with Resonant-Tunnel Diodes as Nonlinear Elements

The influence of technological variation of parameters of device design and their nonlinear elements on technological variation of frequency mixer assignment indicators has been investigated using the stochastic model of frequency mixers based resonant-tunnel diodes developed by the authors. The influence of various stages of the diodes' manufacturing process on the scatter of the mixer assignment indicators has been assessed. The total contribution of technological scatters of the resonant-tunneling diodes' design parameters to the technological scatters of the studied mixers' performance indices (conversion losses, the level of unwanted combinational components of the output spectrum of the signal, the upper limit of the dynamic range by 1dB compression and intermodulation) is about 90%, and the largest contribution to the technological dispersion of the mixers' performance indices is caused by technological errors of the diodes' active region forming operations; the second place belongs to technological errors of the diodes' topology forming operations.

I. Introduction

The development of radio-electronic equipment (REE) used in various areas of society implies the expansion of their functionality. It causes the continuous growth of requirements to the technical characteristics of this equipment. One of the ways to improve the receiving REE's performance indices is to expand the operating frequency range and increase the noise immunity. The basic design options for modern REE of microwave and EHF ranges is the frequency conversion circuit, which is characterized by the dominant role of the frequency mixers (FMX) performance indices in the formation of REE's performance indices. FMX purpose indices include [1]: conversion coefficient; decoupling of intermediate frequency, heterodyne and signal paths; operating frequency range; noise factor; dynamic range width by the level of 1dB compression and intermodulation components; levels of undesirable combinational components in the spectrum of the output signal, etc.