Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has introduced a 25W gallium nitride (GaN) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) for 6–12GHz performance.
Leveraging the inherent benefits of GaN technology, the new MMIC enables extremely wide bandwidths and instantaneous broadband performance, and is suitable for replacing traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) in applications including radar and jamming, test equipment, and broadband amplifiers.
Picture: Cree's CMPA601C025D bare die.
Based on Cree's GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs), the new MMIC is built on a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate using a 0.25μm-gate-length fabrication process. The firm says that GaN-on-SiC exhibits several superior properties compared to silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), and GaN-on-Si, including higher breakdown voltage, saturated electron drift velocity, and thermal conductivity. GaN HEMTs also offer greater power density and wider bandwidths than Si, GaAs, and GaN-on-Si transistors.
The new reactively matched GaN MMIC power amplifier is available as a bare die (CMPA601C025D) or in a thermally enhanced, 10-lead ceramic flange package (CMPA601C025F). Both instantaneously exhibit 30% power-added efficiency (PAE) from 6–12GHz, provide 35W of CW output power, are rated for operation up to 28V, and measure just 0.172" x 0.239" x 0.004". However, the die features 32dB small-signal gain and 30W typical saturated output power (Psat), while the packaged part features 33dB small-signal gain and 35W typical Psat.
Currently, the packaged device will be stocked at Mouser.
