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IMPATT microwave diode

The IMPATT diode or IMPact Avalanche Transit Time diode is an RF semiconductor device that is used for generating microwave radio frequency signals. With the ability to operate at frequencies between about 3 and 100 GHz or more, one of the main advantages of this microwave diode is the relatively high power capability of the IMPATT diode.

IMPATT diodes are used in a variety of applications from low power radar systems to alarms and many other microwave radio applications. In fact IMPATT diodes are ideal where small cost effective microwave radio sources are needed. The main drawback of generators using IMPATT diodes is the high level of phase noise they generate. This results from the statistical nature of the avalanche process that is key to their operation. Nevertheless these microwave diodes make excellent signal sources for many RF microwave applications.

IMPATT diode construction

There is a variety of structures that are used for the IMPATT diode. All are variations of a basic PN junction and usually there is an instrinsic layer, i.e. a layer without any doping that is placed between the P type and N type regions. Typically the N type layer is around one or two microns thick and the intrinsic layer between 3 and 20 microns. In the very high frequency versions of the diodes the instrinsic layer will be very much thinner and dimensions of only 0.5 microns are not unknown.

A variety of semiconductor materials are used for the fabrication of IMPATT diodes. Silicon and gallium arsenide are the most commonly used semiconductors, although germanium, indium phosphide and other mixed group semiconductors can be employed.

The fabricated IMPATT diodes are generally mounted in microwave packages to ensure that their performance is not impaired by an inferior package. The package itself is key to the performance of the IMPATT, especially as these devices may operate at frequencies of many tens of GHz. For thermal reasons, the diode is mounted so that its high field region around the junction is close to a copper heat sink area in the package. This enables the heat generated within the device to be removed effectively so that it can run at its rated power without the junction temperature rising too high. Often the package is coaxial in format so that the correct transmission line properties are presented to the RF signal which may be at many tens of GHz. As a result the package is often quite intricate and accordingly very expensive, especially when very high frequencies are used.

IMPATT diode operation

In terms of its operation the IMPATT diode can be considered to consist of two areas, namely the avalanche region or injection region, and secondly the drift region.

These two areas provide different functions. The avalanche or injection region creates the carriers which may be either holes of electrons, and the drift region is where the carriers move across the diode taking a certain amount of time dependent upon its thickness.

The IMPATT diode is operated under reverse bias conditions. These are set so that avalanche breakdown occurs. This occurs in the region very close to the P+ (i.e. heavily doped P region). The electric field at the p-n junction is very high because the voltage appears across a very narrow gap creating a high potential gradient. Under these circumstances any carriers are accelerated very quickly.

As a result they collide with the crystal lattice and free other carriers. These newly freed carriers are similarly accelerated and collide with the crystal lattice freeing more carriers. This process gives rise to what is termed avalanche breakdown as the number of carriers multiplies very quickly. For this type of breakdown only occurs when a certain voltage is applied to the junction. Below this the potential does not accelerate the carriers sufficiently.

Once the carriers have been generated the device relies on negative resistance to generate and sustain an oscillation. The effect does not occur in the device at DC, but instead, here it is an AC effect that is brought about by phase differences that are seen at the frequency of operation. When an AC signal is applied the current peaks are found to be 180 degrees out of phase with the voltage. This results from two delays which occur in the device: injection delay, and a transit time delay as the current carriers migrate or drift across the device.

The voltage applied to the IMPATT diode has a mean value that means the diode is on the verge of avalanche breakdown. The voltage varies as a sine wave, but the generation of carriers does not occur in unison with the voltage variations. It might be expected that it would occur at the peak voltage. This arises because the generation of carriers is not only a function of the electric field but also the number of carriers already in existence.

As the electric field increases so does the number of carriers. Then even after the field has reached its peak the number of carriers still continues to grow as a result of the number of carriers already in existence. This continues until the field falls to below a critical value when the number of carriers starts to fall. As a result of this effect there is a phase lag so that the current is about 90 degrees behind the voltage. This is known as the injection phase delay.

When the electrons move across the N+ region an external current is seen, and this occurs in peaks, resulting in a repetitive waveform.

Practical operation

The main application for IMPATT diodes is in microwave generators. An alternating signal is generated simply by applying a DC supply when a suitable tuned circuit is applied. The output is reliable and relatively high when compared to other forms of microwave diode. In view of its high levels of phase noise it is used in transmitters more frequently than as a local oscillator in receivers where the phase noise performance is generally more important. It is also used in applications where phase noise performance is unlikely to be of importance.

To run an IMPATT diode, a relatively high voltage, often as high as 70 volts or higher may be required. This often limits their application as voltages of this order are not always easy to use in some pieces of equipment. Nevertheless IMPATT diodes are particularly attractive option for microwave diodes for many areas.