Photoconductor-based 10-110-GHz on-chip device characterization technique

Integration of reflectometer circuitry and device under test on the same semiconductor chip provides an attractive means for measuring scattering parameters at very high frequencies and over wise, uninterrupted frequency ranges. The investigated approach utilizes high-speed photoconductive circuit elements to perform sampling and incident pulse generation functions, assisted by special pulse shaping and compensation networks. Five test structures, implemented in monolithic format on a GaAs chip, experimentally demonstrate the practicability of the approach for frequencies up through W-band.<>