In this contribution we present the results from the simulation of an AlGaN/GaN heterostructure diode by means of a Monte Carlo tool where thermal effects have been included. Two techniques are investigated: (i) a thermal resistance method (TRM), and (ii) an advanced electro-thermal model (ETM) including the solution of the steady-state heat diffusion equation. Initially, a systematic study at constant temperature is performed in order to calibrate the electronic model. Once this task is performed, the electro-thermal methods are coupled with the Monte Carlo electronic simulations. For the TRM, several values of thermal resistances are employed, and for the ETM method, the dependence on the thermal-conductivity, thickness and die length is analyzed. It is found that the TRM with well-calibrated values of thermal resistances provides a similar behavior to ETM simulations under the hypothesis of constant thermal conductivity. Our results are validated with experimental measurements finding the best agreement when the ETM is used with a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity.

Unique properties exhibited by metamaterial transmission lines have been previously used to design a large number of dual-band microwave passive devices, but not active ones. In this paper, a novel dual-band active filter scheme based on composite right/left-handed transmission lines is proposed. The inclusion of these types of lines as feedback sections in a first-order recursive topology can be used to generate a filtering response with two arbitrary passbands. Additionally, dual-band couplers are also required. These may be implemented by means of stub-loaded branch-line structures. As an added advantage, these elements produce a strong rejection level at the central stopband that improves the overall response. Theoretical analysis and design procedures are verified by means of manufacturing and measurement of a prototype containing a distributed amplifier.Index Terms-Active filters, composite right/left-handed (CRLH) metamaterials, microwave recursive filters.

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In this work, the presence of anomalous low-frequency fluctuations during the initiation of higher frequency oscillations in InGaAs-based Gunn planar diodes has been evidenced and investigated. Accurate measurements showing the evolution of the power spectral density of the device with respect to the applied voltage have been carried out. Such spectra have been obtained in the wide frequency range between 10 MHz and 43.5 GHz, simultaneously covering both the low-frequency noise and the fundamental oscillation peak at some tens of GHz. This provides valuable information to better understand how these fluctuations appear and how these are distributed in frequency. For much higher frequency operation, such understanding can be utilized as a simple tool to predict the presence of Gunn oscillations without requiring a direct detection.

In this work, In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As planar Gunn diodes specifically designed for providing oscillations at frequencies below 30 GHz have been fabricated and characterized. Different types of measurements were used to define a set of consistent methods for the characterization of the oscillations that can be extended to the sub-THz frequency range. First, negative differential resistance and a current drop are found in the I-V curve, indicating the potential presence of Gunn oscillations (GOs), which is then confirmed by means of a vector network analyzer, used to measure both the S 11 parameter and the noise power density. The onset of unstable GOs at applied voltages where the negative differential resistance is hardly visible in the I-V curve is evidenced by the observation of a noise bump at very low frequency for the same applied voltage range. Subsequently, the formation of stable oscillations with an almost constant frequency of 8.8 GHz is observed for voltages beyond the current drop. These results have been corroborated by measurements performed with a spectrum analyzer, which are fully consistent with the findings achieved by the other techniques, all of them applicable to Gunn diodes oscillating at much higher frequencies, even above 300 GHz.

Abstract-In this paper, a novel dual-band active filter topology is presented. The non-linear phase response of a composite right/lefthanded cell is used to achieve the desired dual-band performance. Additionally, the proposed structure based on coupled ring resonators yields a very compact solution in which high-order implementations can be easily obtained by cascading multiple rings. The theoretical principles of this type of filters are analyzed in detail. Finally, three prototypes based on first-, second-and third-order structures validate the feasibility of this type of filters. Good agreement between simulations and measurements has been achieved.

The performance of gallium nitride transistors is still limited by technological problems often related to defects and traps. In this work, virgin AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMTs exhibiting an anomalous DC behavior accompanied by frequency dispersion in the microwave range, both in the transconductance and output conductance, are analyzed. This anomalous response, which is mitigated by high-bias conditions, is attributed to the presence of traps and defects both in the volume of the GaN channel and in the source and drain contacts. A simple equivalent circuit model is proposed to replicate the dispersive response of the transistor, achieving an excellent agreement with the measured S-parameters and thus providing relevant information about its characteristic frequency.

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