Abstract

Each year GaAs MMIC technology finds greater application in high volume, low-cost telecommunications systems. Cellular and PCS front-end chip-sets currently form the bulk of commercial GaAs MMIC products, but next generation systems now in design will require two-way data communications at 20 and 30 GHz. Infrastructure will be developed for both terrestrial (ground terminal) as well as space-based (satellite) interfaces for these new systems. This paper presents an overview of some of the GaAs MMIC chip-sets currently being designed to meet the requirements of these new 20 / 30 GHz systems, and examples are presented outlining some of the MMIC performance that has been achieved to date in prototype efforts. This paper also describes how GaAs MMIC technology might be packaged for integration with transmit and receive sub-systems. In some cases options are presented, and how these options might affect the resulting front-end designs are discussed. Finally, the challenges facing the technology implementation are outlined, and where possible, efforts aimed at overcoming the limitations of the technology are presented as practical solutions which could be available as production methods by the time these new systems are ready for high-volume production.