Impatt Diode

A device that exhibit the process of having a delay between voltage and current, in avalanche together
with transit time, the material is said to be Negative resistance.

The examples of the devices that come under this category are IMPATT, TRAPATT and BARITT diodes

IMPATT stands for IMPact Ionization Avalanche Transit-Time operation.

High-power semiconductor diode used in high-frequency microwave electronics devices

Function as microwave oscillator.

Used to produce carrier signal for microwave transmission system.

IMPATT can operate from a 3 GHz to a 100 GHz or more.

PN-junction diodes made of Silicon, Germanium and Gallium Arsenide

Available with power ratings up to 25 W to frequencies as high as high as 30 GHz.

Klystron
A klystron is a specific linear-beam vacuum tube, which is used as an amplifier for high resonant
frequencies.

A power amplifier tube used to amplify weak microwave energy (provided by a radio frequency
exciter) to a high power level for a radar transmitter.

A Klystron is characterized by high power, large size, high stability, high gain, and high operating
voltages.

Types: MULTICAVITY KLYSTRON , REFLEX KLYSTRON

Application: Klystrons can be found at work in radar, satellite and wideband high-power communication
(very common in television broadcasting and EHF satellite terminals), medicine (radiation oncology), and
high-energy physics (particle accelerators and experimental reactors).

At SLAC, klystrons are regularly employed which have outputs in the range of 50 megawatts
(pulse) and 50 kilowatts (time-averaged) at frequencies nearing 3 GHz. Stanford Linear
Accelerator Center, SLAC is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory.

Magnetron
magnetron is a high-powered vacuum tube, that works as self-excited microwave oscillator.
Crossed electron and magnetic fields are used in the magnetron to produce the high-power
output required in radar equipment.

Application: Radar, Heating, Lighting

Trapatt
It is a p-n junction diode characterized by formation of a trapped space charge plasma within the
junction region.

Derived from the Trapped Plasma Avalanche Triggered Transit mode device

Operating frequency :
1 to 3Ghz.

Noise figure very high about 60db

Advantage:

More suitable for pulse operation

15 % to 40% efficiency is obtained

It can operate between 3 to 50Ghz

Application: Low power Doppler radars, Microwave

Oscillator, Radio

Altimeter

Pin Diode
A PIN diode is a diode with a wide, undoped intrinsic semiconductor region between a p-type
semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor region. The p-type and n-type regions are typically
heavily doped because they are used for ohmic contacts.

Tunnel Diode
Tunnel diode is a semi-conductor with a special characteristic of negative resistance.

By negative resistance, we mean that when voltage is increased, the current through it
decreases.

Highly doped PN- junction. Doping density of about 1000 times greater than ordinary
junction diode

Advantage: Very high speed, Longevity

Applications:
 Ultra- high speed switch due to tunneling

Used as logic memory storage device.

In satellite communication equipment, they are widely used.

Due to its feature of negative resistance, it is used in relaxation oscillator circuits.

Used in modern military equipments - NMR machines.

Used in FM receivers.

TWT = Twit or tweeta

A specialized vacuum tube that is used to amplify radio frequency (RF) signals in the microwave range.

Types: Helix twt, coupled cavity twt

YIG
Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) is a ferrite material that displays a unique , high-Q frequency
resonance characteristic when exposed to a magnetic field.

Yttrium iron garnet spheres (YIG spheres) serve as magnetically tunable filters and resonators
for microwave frequencies. These filters are used for their high Q factors, typically between 100
and 200.

Advantage: YIG oscillators will have good signal quality at low phase jitter compare to VCO.
Better broadband characteristics.
YIG works like tank circuit when it has been placed in the air gap of electro-magnets.
Low phase noise can be achieved with YIG due to magnetic resonance.
Available is wide variety of frequency ranges which include 2-4GHz, 4-8GHz, 8-12GHz and 12-18GHz
and 2-8GHz.
GUNN Diode
A Gunn diode, also known as a transferred electron device (TED), is a form of diode, a two-
terminal passive semiconductor electronic component, with negative resistance, used in high-
frequency electronics. It is based on the "Gunn effect" discovered in 1960s by physicist J. B.
Gunn.

Application:

Sensors and measuring instruments

Radio amateur use

Radio astronomy

Used as Gunn oscillators to generate frequencies ranging from 100mW 5GHz to 1W 35GHz
outputs. These Gunn oscillators are used for radio communications, military and commercial
radar sources.

Used as sensors for detecting trespassers, to avoid derailment of trains.

Used as efficient microwave generators with a frequency range of up to hundreds of GHz.

Used for remote vibration detectors and rotational speed measuring tachometers.

Used as a microwave current generator (Pulsed Gunn diode generator).

Used in microwave transmitters to generate microwave radio waves at very low powers.

Used as fast controlling components in microelectronics such as for the modulation of

semiconductor injection lasers.

Used as sub-millimeter wave applications by multiplying Gunn oscillator frequency with diode frequency