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MIXERS - DOUBLE-BALANCED - CHIP
3
3 - 1
For price, delivery and to place orders: Hittite Microwave Corporation, 20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373 Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Application Support: Phone: 978-250-3343 or apps@hittite.com
HMC773
GaAs MMIC FUNDAMENTAL
MIXER, 6 - 26 GHz
v01.0909
General Description
Features
Functional Diagram
Passive: No DC Bias Required
High Input IP3: +22 dBm
High LO/RF Isolation: 38 dB
Wide IF Bandwidth: DC - 10 GHz
Upconversion & Downconversion Applications
Die Size: 1.37 x 0.96 x 0.1 mm
Electrical Specications, TA = +25° C, IF = 0.5 GHz, LO = +13 dBm*
Typical Applications
The HMC773 is ideal for:
• Point-to-Point Radios
• Point-to-Multi-Point Radios & VSAT
• Test Equipment & Sensors
• Military End-Use
The HMC773 is a general purpose double balanced
mixer chip that can be used as an upconverter or
downconverter between 6 and 26 GHz. This mixer
requires no external components or matching cir-
cuitry. The HMC773 provides excellent LO to RF and
LO to IF isolation due to optimized balun structures.
The mixer operates with LO drive levels of +13 dBm.
The HMC773 wideband mixer exhibits consistent
conversion gain and compression across its band-
width. The HMC773 is also available in SMT format as
the HMC773LC3B.
Parameter Min. Typ. Max. Min. Typ. Max. Units
Frequency Range, RF & LO 6 - 16 16 - 26 GHz
Frequency Range, IF DC - 10 DC - 10 GHz
Conversion Loss 9 12 9 11 dB
LO to RF Isolation 37 38 dB
LO to IF Isolation 31 37 20 30 dB
RF to IF Isolation 5 11 8 18 dB
IP3 (Input) 18 22 dBm
IP2 (Input) 45 50 dBm
1 dB Gain Compression (Input) 10 12 dBm
* Unless otherwise noted, all measurements performed as downconverter, IF = 0.5 GHz, LO = +13 dBm
MIXERS - DOUBLE-BALANCED - CHIP
3
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For price, delivery and to place orders: Hittite Microwave Corporation, 20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373 Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Application Support: Phone: 978-250-3343 or apps@hittite.com
Conversion Gain vs. Temperature
Conversion Gain vs. LO Drive
Isolation
IF Bandwidth vs. Temperature
Return Loss
Upconverter Performance
Conversion Gain vs. LO Drive
HMC773
v01.0909
GaAs MMIC FUNDAMENTAL
MIXER, 6 - 26 GHz
-20
-16
-12
-8
-4
0
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
+25C
+85C
-55C
FREQUENCY (GHz)
CONVERSION GAIN (dB)
-20
-16
-12
-8
-4
0
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
9 dBm
11 dBm
13 dBm
15 dBm
FREQUENCY (GHz)
CONVERSION GAIN (dB)
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Conversion Gain
IF Return Loss
FREQUENCY (GHz)
RESPONSE (dB)
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
LO/RF
RF/IF
LO/IF
FREQUENCY (GHz)
ISOLATION (dB)
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
RF
LO
FREQUENCY (GHz)
RETURN LOSS (dB)
-20
-16
-12
-8
-4
0
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
9 dBm
11 dBm
13 dBm
15 dBm
FREQUENCY (GHz)
CONVERSION GAIN (dB)
MIXERS - DOUBLE-BALANCED - CHIP
3
3 - 3
For price, delivery and to place orders: Hittite Microwave Corporation, 20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373 Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Application Support: Phone: 978-250-3343 or apps@hittite.com
Input IP2 vs. Temperature *
Input IP3 vs. LO Drive * Input IP3 vs. Temperature*
Input IP2 vs. LO Drive *
* Two-tone input power = -5 dBm each tone, 1 MHz spacing.
Input P1dB vs. LO Drive Input P1dB vs. Temperature
HMC773
v01.0909
GaAs MMIC FUNDAMENTAL
MIXER, 6 - 26 GHz
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
9 dBm
11 dBm
13 dBm
15 dBm
FREQUENCY (GHz)
IP3 (dBm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
9 dBm
11 dBm
13 dBm
15 dBm
FREQUENCY (GHz)
IP2 (dBm)
0
4
8
12
16
20
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
11 dBm
13 dBm
15 dBm
FREQUENCY (GHz)
P1dB (dBm)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
+25C
+85C
-55C
FREQUENCY (GHz)
IP3 (dBm)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
+25C
+85C
-55C
FREQUENCY (GHz)
IP2 (dBm)
0
4
8
12
16
20
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
+25C
+85C
-55C
FREQUENCY (GHz)
P1dB (dBm)
MIXERS - DOUBLE-BALANCED - CHIP
3
3 - 4
For price, delivery and to place orders: Hittite Microwave Corporation, 20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373 Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Application Support: Phone: 978-250-3343 or apps@hittite.com
MxN Spurious Outputs
nLO
mRF 0 1 2 3 4
0 XX 14.5 30.3 31.3 53.3
1 0 0 21.6 22.5 46.7
2 69.0 61.7 62.5 63.7 74.6
3 >100 79.4 65.8 68.2 59.6
RF = 18 GHz @ -10 dBm
LO = 17 GHz @ +13 dBm
All values in dBc below the IF output power level.
Absolute Maximum Ratings
RF / IF Input +21 dBm
LO Drive +21 dBm
Channel Temperature 150 °C
Continuous Pdiss (Ta = 85 °C)
(derate 3.26 mW/°C above 85 °C) 212 mW
Thermal Resistance
(junction to die bottom) 306 °C/W
Storage Temperature -65 to +150 °C
Operating Temperature -55 to +85 °C
ELECTROSTATIC SENSITIVE DEVICE
OBSERVE HANDLING PRECAUTIONS
Outline Drawing
HMC773
v01.0909
GaAs MMIC FUNDAMENTAL
MIXER, 6 - 26 GHz
MIXERS - DOUBLE-BALANCED - CHIP
3
3 - 5
For price, delivery and to place orders: Hittite Microwave Corporation, 20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373 Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Application Support: Phone: 978-250-3343 or apps@hittite.com
Pad Number Function Description Interface Schematic
1 LO This pin is DC coupled
and matched to 50 Ohms.
2 RF This pin is DC coupled
and matched to 50 Ohms.
3 IF
This pin is DC coupled. For applications not requiring
operation to DC, this port should be DC blocked externally
using a series capacitor whose value has been chosen to
pass the necessary IF frequency range. For operation to DC,
this pin must not source or sink more than 2 mA of current or
part non-function and possible part failure will result.
Pad Descriptions
Assembly Diagram
HMC773
v01.0909
GaAs MMIC FUNDAMENTAL
MIXER, 6 - 26 GHz
MIXERS - DOUBLE-BALANCED - CHIP
3
3 - 6
For price, delivery and to place orders: Hittite Microwave Corporation, 20 Alpha Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: 978-250-3343 Fax: 978-250-3373 Order On-line at www.hittite.com
Application Support: Phone: 978-250-3343 or apps@hittite.com
HMC773
v01.0909
GaAs MMIC FUNDAMENTAL
MIXER, 6 - 26 GHz
Mounting & Bonding Techniques for Millimeterwave GaAs MMICs
The die should be attached directly to the ground plane eutectically or with
conductive epoxy (see HMC general Handling, Mounting, Bonding Note).
50 Ohm Microstrip transmission lines on 0.127mm (5 mil) thick alumina thin lm
substrates are recommended for bringing RF to and from the chip (Figure 1). If
0.254mm (10 mil) thick alumina thin lm substrates must be used, the die should
be raised 0.150mm (6 mils) so that the surface of the die is coplanar with the sur-
face of the substrate. One way to accomplish this is to attach the 0.102mm (4 mil)
thick die to a 0.150mm (6 mil) thick molybdenum heat spreader (moly-tab) which
is then attached to the ground plane (Figure 2).
Microstrip substrates should be brought as close to the die as possible in order
to minimize ribbon bond length. Typical die-to-substrate spacing is 0.076mm
(3 mils). Gold ribbon of 0.075 mm (3 mil) width and minimal length <0.31 mm
(<12 mils) is recommended to minimize inductance on RF, LO & IF ports.
Handling Precautions
Follow these precautions to avoid permanent damage.
Storage: All bare die are placed in either Waffle or Gel based ESD protective
containers, and then sealed in an ESD protective bag for shipment. Once the
sealed ESD protective bag has been opened, all die should be stored in a dry
nitrogen environment.
Cleanliness: Handle the chips in a clean environment. DO NOT attempt to clean
the chip using liquid cleaning systems.
Static Sensitivity: Follow ESD precautions to protect against > ±250V ESD
strikes.
Transients: Suppress instrument and bias supply transients while bias is applied.
Use shielded signal and bias cables to minimize inductive pick-up.
General Handling: Handle the chip along the edges with a vacuum collet or with
a sharp pair of bent tweezers. The surface of the chip has fragile air bridges and
should not be touched with vacuum collet, tweezers, or ngers.
Mounting
The chip is back-metallized and can be die mounted with AuSn eutectic preforms or with electrically conductive epoxy. The mounting
surface should be clean and at.
Eutectic Die Attach: A 80/20 gold tin preform is recommended with a work surface temperature of 255 °C and a tool temperature
of 265 °C. When hot 90/10 nitrogen/hydrogen gas is applied, tool tip temperature should be 290 °C. DO NOT expose the chip
to a temperature greater than 320 °C for more than 20 seconds. No more than 3 seconds of scrubbing should be required for
attachment.
Epoxy Die Attach: Apply a minimum amount of epoxy to the mounting surface so that a thin epoxy llet is observed around the
perimeter of the chip once it is placed into position. Cure epoxy per the manufacturer’s schedule.
Wire Bonding
RF bonds made with 0.003” x 0.0005” ribbon are recommended. These bonds should be thermosonically bonded with a force of
40-60 grams. DC bonds of 0.001” (0.025 mm) diameter, thermosonically bonded, are recommended. Ball bonds should be made
with a force of 40-50 grams and wedge bonds at 18-22 grams. All bonds should be made with a nominal stage temperature of 150
°C. A minimum amount of ultrasonic energy should be applied to achieve reliable bonds. All bonds should be as short as possible,
less than 12 mils (0.31 mm).
0.102mm (0.004”) Thick GaAs MMIC
3 mil Ribbon Bond
RF Ground Plane
0.127mm (0.005”) Thick Alumina
Thin Film Substrate
0.076mm
(0.003”)
Figure 1.
0.102mm (0.004”) Thick GaAs MMIC
3 mil Ribbon Bond
RF Ground Plane
0.254mm (0.010”) Thick Alumina
Thin Film Substrate
0.076mm
(0.003”)
Figure 2.
0.150mm (0.005”) Thick
Moly Tab
