Inventors:
Chung-Wen Dennis Lo - Foster City CA
Barry R. Allen - Redondo Beach CA
Eric W. Lin - Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Gee Samuel Dow - Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Paul Shu Chung Lee - La Palma CA
Assignee:
TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA
International Classification:
H03F 360, H03F 368
Abstract:
A direct detection receiver for a passive microwave and millimeter wave radiometric imaging system. The receiver includes a balanced switch low-noise amplifier (BSLNA). A front-end, low-noise amplifier (LNA) is inserted before the BSLNA to achieve a low-noise figure, as well as provide sufficient gain to minimize the input noise figure degradation due to loss of the BSLNA. A high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) diode is used as a power detector. The front-end amplifier, BSLNA and diode are process compatible for monolithic integration.