Miniaturized millimeter-wave masterslice 3-D MMIC amplifier and mixer

Masterslice three-dimensional MMIC (3-D MMIC) technology has (even in the m illimeter-wave region) the advantages of high integration levels, simple de sign procedures, short turnaround time, and low fabrication cost. This pape r clarifies the advantages of the thin-film microstrip line by drawing comp arisons to the characteristics of other transmission lines, The simple desi gn procedures of the masterslice 3-D MMIC are elucidated by referring to fa bricated MMIC's, A V-band amplifier and an image rejection mixer fabricated by using the same master array are demonstrated, The V-band amplifier offe rs an 8-dB gain and a 5.3-dB noise figure in the area of just 0.27 mm(2). T he image rejection mixer achieves a conversion gain of -10 dB and an image rejection ratio of 20 dB. The performance of the millimeter-wave 3-D MMIC's is competitive with those of the conventional planar-formed MMIC's.