A monolithic high power Ka-band PIN switch

A high-power Ka-band single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch using monolithic GaAs epitaxial p-i-n diode technology is presented. The switch uses epitaxial vertical p-i-n diode structures in a shunt configuration optimized for low loss and high isolation under high power signal conditions. The vertical epitaxial structure provides lower RF impedance under forward bias and superior power handling capability. An additional feature of the circuit is the location of the p-i-n diode directly underneath the RF line, which improves isolation and increases bandwidth. Insertion loss is 0.7 dB at 35 GHz, and isolation is better than 32 dB from 30 to 40 GHz. The power-handling capability is at least +38 dBm pulsed and +35 dBm CW. Switching speed rise and fall times are 2 ns.<>