p-i-n diode control devices in E-plane technique

The status of the use of p-i-n diode control devices in the E-plane technique, especially in integrated finline configurations, is reviewed. The circuit topologies, operating principles, and design considerations for state-of-the-art switches, attenuators, and digital modulators are discussed, and typical performance characteristics are presented. The superior performance of these components confirms that finline is the appropriate transmission medium for the realization of millimeter-wave p-i-n diode switches and attenuators in the low-power regime (up to some 10 W of CW power), where beam-lead diode devices can be used. By properly matching these devices to their finline embedding network, excellent broadband characteristics can be achieved.>