Ku-Band Single-Voltage-Supply Downconverter Using 0.15 mu m pHEMT Process

Abstract

A fully integrated downconverter which converts the RF signal from the Ku-Band (10.7 GHz - 12.75 GHz) to the L-band (0.95 GHz - 2.15 GHz) is a current application in the Direct Broadcast Satellite system. With characteristics of low noise and high gain for pHEMT process, the demonstrated downconverter exhibits a conversion gain of 32 dB, and a single-sideband noise figure of 2 dB within the Ku-band at a single-voltage-supply of 3.3V and 50 mA.