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This historical review is divided into three sections: microwave integrated circuits (MICs), monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), and MIC and millimeter-wave integrated-circuit applications.

Design and performance of a 40 dB gain X-band low-noise FET amplifier with integral overload protection is presented. Noise figures as low as 2 dB have been achieved using packaged transistors, including a multidiode overload protector that protects the FET's for input pulse powers to 1 kW. Performance is achieved by the use of new embedment circuits for super-low-noise packaged FET and pin diodes in aluminum-clad soft microstrip.

Design and performance of analog phase shifters using hyperabrupt varactors with linear phase versus voltage is presented. Phase linearity of 22 degrees per volt +-8 percent was achieved for a 100 degree S-band device with a phase deviation of 1 degree from linearity. At X-band, linear phase control of 270 degrees was achieved. The selection of the varactor diode capacitance versus voltage and matching circuits for linear performance are presented.

A 14 oz, low noise, X-band parametric amplifier has been developed for an airborne environment (-55/spl deg/ to +71 /spl deg/C). This unit exhibits a 1.8 dB noise figure at 10 GHz and, at 18 dB peak gain, a 3 dB single-tuned bandwidth of 230 MHz that is electronically tunable over 700 MHz. A 1 dB gain compression occurs at -27 dBm input power. Performance is achieved through use of unique upper sideband terminated circuitry and a new low-parasitic, hermetic varactor package.

A development effort is described that yielded a compact broadband module using soft and hard substrate material employing microstrip, slot line, and coplanar line. Integrated functions include coupling, limiting, up-conversion, downconversion, broadband amplification, amplitude modulation, switching, gating, and stable frequency generation. A new high-level frequency converter with a +28 dBm intercept point resulted in high dynamic range, spurious-free operation (- 45 dBc). Extremely flat amplification with low current drain is achieved with novel distributed and cascode FET amplifiers at S-C and X-bands.

Design and perfomance of an X-band microstrip bipolar varactor-tuned oscillator integrated with an FET amplifier is presented. Wide temperature operation (-55 to 71/spl deg/C), constant high power (0.5 W), low post-tuning drift (0.75 MHz) for 8-percent tuning range, and exceptionally low SSB phase noise (-125 dBc/Hz with GaAs hyperabrupt or -132 dBc/Hz with silicon abrupt tuning diode at 1-MHz modulation frequency) is reported. Extremely linear frequency-voltage characteristic is achieved with the GaAs hyperabrupt tuning diode for this oscillator without the need for complex Iinearizing circuitry. Circuit synthesis techniques and noise estimation criteria are presented which correlate with the experimental results.

The design and performance of a low-cost, planar microstrip 94-GHz transceiver is described. It includes a two-axis, monopulse-fed, four-element, switchable, right-hand-left-hand circularly polarized patch antenna. All circuits are monolithic microwave integrated circuits (mixer, intermediate-frequency amplifier, and RF PIN diode switch) interconnected with low-loss, Z-cut quartz microstrip. The miniature 1.1-in-diameter by 0.25-in-thick transceiver operated both in the transmit and in the receive mode with a 3-dB beamwidth of 58 degrees . When mounted as a feed for a 5-in-diameter parabolic dish, the assembly exhibited a 1.7 degrees 3-dB beamwidth, 12-dB sidelobes, a gain of 26 dB, and a difference pattern null of 30 dB. >

Design and performance of a unique X-band GaAs MMIC PIN diode receiver protector (RP) with switchable attenuator is described with a maximum average and peak leakage levels of 17 dBm and 20 dBm respectively. The fast acting 8 diode RP requires no external biasing and exhibits a recovery time of 50 ns. The MMIC includes a switchable 13 dB attenuator after the RP. Two RP/attenuator circuits for balanced operation are included in a 120 by 150 by 6 mil MMIC which exhibits only 0.55 to 0.7 dB loss, and a return loss of 15 to 30 dB over an octave bandwidth.

A novel millimeter wave MMIC active balanced tripler with input driver amplifier has been developed using GaAs PHEMT 0.25 micron technology. Frequency conversion is realized using the high third harmonic currents of an overdriven class A amplifier with output short circuits at the fundamental and higher order harmonics with optimum load conductance at the third harmonic. Q- and W-band MMIC triplers were developed and exhibited +12 and +5 dBm peak output powers respectively. A MMIC W-band receiver was fabricated using the Q-band active multiplier to drive a subharmonic mixer with 5-dB overall conversion gain.

This paper presents design and performance of a unique, low cost, miniature planar all MMIC W-band transceiver. The transceiver incorporates a planar 4-element circularly, polarized patch antenna, a monopulse comparator, two receiver channels, one for the sum and the other for a selectable difference in either azimuth or elevation. Two PIN diode switches provide the TR and difference channel switching. Each receiver has a balanced LNA, an image rejection/image enhancement subharmonic mixer and an IF amplifier. Test circuits are included for system calibration and verification. The double sided transceiver uses an optimal arrangement of quartz, alumina, and LTCC for an overall size less than 1 inch diameter and 0.25 inch thick. The antenna cross pole isolation is typically 15 dB with a monopulse null depth of 25 dB. The receiver gain is 30 dB with a 25 dB image rejection.

This paper describes the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a low noise optical link for W-band transmit/receive applications. The optical link is at Ku-band with an input power of 5 mW, compatible with the direct frequency coherent synthesizer, followed with low-cost MMIC /spl times/6 for W-band output of 70 mW and /spl times/3 for the W-band /spl times/2 subharmonic mixer with an output power of 32 mW. A diode pumped YAG laser at 1319 nm is modulated with a Mach-Zehnder modulator at Ku band and detected with PIN diode photodetector. The measured Ku band phase noise floor of -145 dBc/Hz was obtained with a projected W-band phase noise of -129.4 dBc/Hz.

A development effort is described that yielded a compact broad-band ECM module using soft and hard substrate material employing microstrip, slotline, and coplanar line. Integrated functions include coupling, limiting, upconversion, downconversion, broad-band amplification, amplitude modulation, switching, gating, and stable frequency generation. A high-level frequency converter with a + 28-dBm intercept point resulted in high dynamic range, spurious-free operation (--45 dBc). Extremely flat amplification with low-current drain is achieved with distributed and cascode FET amplifiers at S - C and X-bands.

Design and performance of a unique microstrip L-band bipolar transistor dielectric resonator stabilized oscillator (DRO) is described which achieves ultralow single-sideband phase noise (-163 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz offset frequency), low I/f noise corner frequency of 12 kHz, with near-constant frequency (1280 +- 0.06 MHz) and power (12.55 +- 0.15 dBm) over -50° to 75°C. Circuit details to minimize noise as well as transistor selection criteria and measurements are presented. Back-to-back varactors provide 350 kHz electronic tuning range for phase-locking applications without any increase of noise.