Design of a 94-GHz Single Balanced Mixer Using Planar Schottky Diodes with a Nano-Dot Structure on a GaAs Substrate

In this paper, we develop a 94-GHz single balanced mixer with low conversion loss using planar Schottky diodes on a GaAs substrate. The GaAs Schottky diode has a nanoscale anode with a T-shaped disk that can yield high cutoff frequency characteristics. The fabricated Schottky diode with an anode diameter of 500 nm has a series resistance of 21 Ω, an ideality factor of 1.32, a junction capacitance of 8.03 fF, and a cutoff frequency of 944 GHz. Based on this technology, a 94-GHz single balanced mixer was constructed. The fabricated mixer shows an average conversion loss of -7.58 dB at an RF frequency of 92.5 GHz to 95 GHz and an IF frequency of 500 MHz with an LO power of 7 dBm. The RF-to-LO isolation characteristics were greater than -32 dB. These values are considered to be attributed to superior Schottky diode characteristics.