Reduced Hybrid Ring Coupler Using Surface Micromachining Technology for 94-GHz MMIC Applications

In this study, we developed a reduced 94 GHz hybrid ring coupler on a GaAs substrate in order to demonstrate the possibility of the integration of various passive components and MMICs in the millimeter-wave range. To reduce the size of the hybrid ring coupler, we used multiple open stubs on the inside of the ring structure. The chip size of the reduced hybrid ring coupler with multiple open stubs was decreased by 62% compared with the area of the hybrid ring coupler without open stubs. Performance in terms of the loss, isolation, and phase difference characteristics exhibited no significant change after the use of the multiple open stubs on the inside of the ring structure. The reduced hybrid ring coupler showed excellent coupling loss of 3.87±0.33 dB and transmission loss of 3.77±0.72 dB in the measured frequency range of 90–100 GHz. The isolation and reflection were −48 dB and −32 dB at 94 GHz, respectively. The phase differences between two output ports were 180°±1° at 94 GHz.