
328 MICROWAVE DIODE GENERATORS
Labs to create the first of these
Read diodes.
Johnston generated about 80 mW at 12
GHz in a silicon
PN
junction diode. Today, the class of diodes of which the Read
device is a member is referred to as
impact avalanche transit time
(IMPATT) diodes.
The name IMPATT reflects the two different mechanisms at work:
1. Avalanche (impact ionization)
2. Transit time (drift)
Figure 16-9 shows a typical IMPATT device based on a
N§ §
structure. Other
structures are also known, but the
NPIP
of Fig. 16-9A is representative. The +
superscripts indicate a higher than normal doping concentration, as indicated ...