Compact Ku-band GaAs multifunction chip for SATCOM phased arrays

This paper presents a compact Ku-band GaAs multifunction chip using commercial GaAs pHEMT technologies for SATCOM applications. The multifunction chip consists of a 4-bit phase shifter and a 4-bit attenuator with a serial-to-parallel converter (SPC) but the size is less than 7.6 mm². Typical value of RMS attenuation error and RMS phase error are 0.5 dB and 3.5°, respectively in the frequency range of 12-18 GHz. The SPC-integrated multifunction chip leads to a simplification in the control interface and a reduction in the cost of module assembly.