Millimeter wave image guide integrated balanced mixer

摘要

Disclosed is a millimeter wave integrated circuit balanced mixer including two signal ports, a local oscillator and an input signal port, coupled to a pair of solid state millimeter wave mixer diodes by means of an image guide 3db hybrid signal coupler and a pair of mixer cavities formed from a wafer of boron nitride whose bottom surface is metallized and soldered onto a metal substrate having a metal surface defining an image plane. The signal coupler consists of two curved lengths of boron nitride image guide having a spacing therebetween in the form of a thin slot for providing the proper coupling factor. The cavities formed in the boron nitride wafer are metallized and are configured to receive one like end of the respective image waveguides. The opposite ends of the image waveguides are tapered and are located in image guide to wavelength transitions at the respective signal ports. IF output signal lines in the form of metallized lines are located on the end portion of the image guides in the respective cavities for coupling to an IF amplifier.