Gallium arsenide field effect transistors microstrip integrated circuit dielectric resonator oscillators

This thesis is concerned with Gallium Arsenide Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor Microstrip Integrated Circuit Dielectric Resonator Oscillators (GaAs MESFET MIC DROs) - the different types, their design and their performance compared to other high Q factor (ie narrowband) microwave oscillators. The thesis has three major objectives. The first is to collate the information required to build microwave DROs. The second is to present the practical results obtained from Dielectric Resonator Bandreject and Bandpass filters (DR BRFs and DR BPFs). The last is to present and compare results from a DR stabilised microstrip oscillator and three types of series feedback DROs. Narrowband oscillators are usually evaluated in terms of their frequency stability, reliability, size, cost, efficiency and output power characteristics. In terms of these parameters DROs outperform Gunn cavity oscillators and are only bettered by crystal locked sources in terms of frequency temperature stability and long-term stability. The components of a GaAs MESFET MIC DRO possess ideal properties for the construction of a narrowband source with the exception of the long term stability of the GaAs MESFET. GaAs MESFET•DROs have the best published DRO results for efficiency, output power, power temperature stability and external Q factor. Basic oscillator theory derived by Kurokawa can be applied to both negative resistance and feedback oscillators. Impedance locus, device-line and operating point concepts provide a convenient framework for understanding hysteresis in microwave oscillators. The work by Kurokawa can also be translated into the S-parameter domain which has proved convenient for the design of microwave oscillators.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Electrical Engineering

Year dc:date.issued

1988

Author dc:creator

• Crouch, David Andrew

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Downing, B J

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8329

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8329