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近几年来,微波杂志和通俗期刊的读者已经注意到微波研究和发展的一个重要领域——GaAs单片微波集成电路(MMIC)。这些MMIC的工艺和电路设计技巧已影响到很多微波领域的部门,而它们以前是采用普通混合微波集成电路(MIC)或波导元件和系统的。现在,MMIC工艺和电路设计的发展已经表明了高达大约35GHz的惊人结果,其电路设计更多地借助于计算机辅助测试(CAM)和计算机辅助设计(CAD)。到目前为止,大概MMIC最感兴趣的方面是这种单片集成的方式,其中,GaAs MES FET被用于完成多种功能,如:放大、变频、振荡、相移、开关等,特别是在许多情况下,在这些特殊电路范围内,FET优于其它器件。虽然批量生产GaAs MMIC有希望成为一种价格低、性能好、尺寸小和可重复的好方法(这类似于以前的硅集成电路),但对于微波工业,通常还有大量的要求不能满足。另外,混合MIC装配的惊人技艺已在世界范围内建立,而且,对于特殊要求的微波元件,混合MIC可以提供最佳的解决办法。因此,很自然地,许多微波工艺部门持怀疑的态度来看待MMIC,并指出这种特殊方法的缺点。MMIC的设计者们则保持强有力的步调,而致力于混合MIC的设计者们却不断地改善其能力,以生产更多成熟的、小型的和廉价的元件。本文评论了这两种生产微波元件的方法的相对优点和现状,得出了有关这两种竞争工艺前景的几点结论。
In recent years, readers of microwave magazines and popular periodicals have noticed one important area of microwave research and development - the GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC). The process and circuit design techniques of these MMICs have affected many of the microwave sectors that previously used common hybrid microwave integrated circuits (MICs) or waveguide components and systems. The development of MMIC process and circuit design has now shown dramatic results up to about 35 GHz with more circuit design using computer aided testing (CAM) and computer aided design (CAD). So far, the most interesting aspect of MMIC is probably this monolithically integrated approach, where GaAs MES FETs are used to perform a variety of functions such as amplification, frequency conversion, oscillation, phase shifting, switching, etc., especially in In many cases, FETs outperform other devices in these particular circuits. While mass-produced GaAs MMICs are promising as a low-cost, good-performance, small-size, and repeatable good (similar to previous silicon ICs), there are often a number of requirements not met in the microwave industry. In addition, the astonishing art of hybrid MIC assembly has been established around the world, and hybrid MICs provide the best solution to the particular requirements of microwave components. Therefore, it is natural that many microwave process units take a skeptical view of MMICs and point out the shortcomings of this particular approach. While MMIC designers are staying at a strong pace, designers working on Hybrid MICs continue to improve their capabilities to produce more mature, smaller, and cheaper components. This article reviews the relative merits and current status of these two methods of producing microwave components and draws some conclusions about the prospects of these two competing processes.