On-Chip Hybrid Couplers Enabling Highly Integrated MMIC Components at Millimeter and Submillimeter Wave Frequencies

The improvement in performance and manufacturability of millimeter wave and submillimeter wave MMIC components enables the continued advancement of high frequency instrumentation in many emerging applications such as imaging, radiometry, and communications. On-chip 180° and 90° hybrid coupler structures are pivotal in the design and fabrication of highly integrated MMIC components. In this work, hybrid couplers are utilized in the designs of MMIC chipsets from 89 – 240 GHz using Northrop Grumman’s 35 nm InP HEMT MMIC process. The design and measurement of a 165 GHz switched 180° phase shifter and 118 GHz balanced subharmonic mixer are presented, as well as test cells of an on-chip back-to-back 180° Marchand balun structure and a 165 GHz SPDT switch.