In booth 2120 at the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2013) in Seattle (4–7 June), wireless and optical communications component and module provider Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations USA Inc of San Jose, CA, USA (SEDU, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd, or SEI) has introduced its first Ku-band gallium nitride high-electron-mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) power amplifier (PA) for satellite communications (satcom) applications.
Sumitomo Electric notes that GaN technology allows significantly higher output powers - 50W, versus 30W for gallium arsenide (GaAs). Tuned for operation at 13.75-14.5GHz, the new SGK1314-50A PA is internally matched for the extended Ku satcom band to provide optimum power and gain in a 50-ohm system.
“The new GaN PAs provide the ability to simplify the design by reducing the number of required transistors,” says John Wyatt, president of Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations USA. “For example, the 50W GaN HEMT replaces two GaAs FETs and also provides higher gain [8dB typical] and efficiency [lower power consumption],” he adds.
