In booth 156 at European Microwave Week (EuMW 2016) in London, UK (3–7 October), Wolfspeed of Research Triangle Park, NC, USA — a Cree Company that makes gallium nitride on silicon carbide (GaN-on-SiC) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) — is launching what is claimed to be the highest-power 50V GaN HEMT demonstrated to date.
Delivering a minimum of 800W of pulsed power at 1.2–1.4GHz and 50V operation with better than 65% drain efficiency, the CGHV14800 features high efficiency, high gain and wide-bandwidth capabilities, making it suitable for L-band radar amplifier applications including air traffic control (ATC) radar, penetration radar, anti-missile system radar, target-tracking radar, and long-range surveillance radar.
Internally matched on input and output, the 900W, 50V GaN HEMT also exhibits 14dB power gain and <0.3dB pulsed amplitude droop. The CGHV14800 is supplied in a ceramic/metal flange package that can be shipped individually, or alongside or installed on a test board.
"We demonstrated the CGHV14800 at this year's International Microwave Symposium," says RF & microwave director Jim Milligan. "Our comprehensive and continually expanding radar product portfolio enables state-of-the-art RF amplifier performance critical for the development of the next-gen defense, aerospace and commercial radar applications," he claims.
Wolfspeed says that, compared with conventional silicon (Si) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) devices, its GaN-on-SiC RF devices deliver higher breakdown voltage, higher-temperature operation, higher efficiency, higher thermal conductivity, higher power density, and wider bandwidths, all of which are critical for achieving smaller, lighter and more efficient microwave and RF products. In addition to L-band radar power amplifiers, the firm's GaN-on-SiC RF devices are also enabling next-generation broadband, public safety, and ISM (industrial, scientific & medical) amplifiers; broadcast, satellite, and tactical communications amplifiers; unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data links; cellular infrastructure; test instrumentation; and two-way private radios.
