Design and characterization of W-band components in planar technology

This paper describes the design and characterization of the components which compose a W-band broadband and differential RF front-end configuration in planar technology which could be used for radiometer receivers. The main advantages of this configuration are the high sensitivity due to the minimization of the gain and noise temperature fluctuations of any amplifier, and the capability of the system to be easily calibrated given that the outputs are the amplified RF and reference signal with the same contribution of noise. Moreover, each component has been characterized by means of an inline microstrip to WR10 transition covering the full W-band.