Novel designs for high-efficiency millimeter-wave zero-bias detectors

Novel designs for high-efficiency millimeter wave zero-bias detectors are presented. As the renowned backward diodes are extensively exploited in the utilization of zero bias detectors due to its preferable conduction for small reverse biases, the single-handed diode detectors reveal its inherent capabilities by the semiconductor processes which the detectors are made from. The selected process chiefly dominates the detectors´ performances before take any circuit design techniques. Here we present novel designs that employ Schottky diodes in conjunction with field effect transistors (FETs) throughout zero bias condition in 0.15μm GaAs pseudomorphic HEMT (pHEMT) process. Through computational estimations, the novel designs show remarkable results of that the proposed designs surpass the conventional Schottky diode only structures in rectified current levels by four orders, and the isolation of RF-DC also be improved at millimeter wave frequencies.