GaN MMICs designed for S-band radar applications

7th June 2017

Wolfspeed

Alice Matthews

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Wide bandgap semiconductor technology company, Wolfspeed, has introduced two new GaN MMICs, the first 50V GaN devices specifically designed for S-band radar (2.7-3.5GHz) applications. These new 50V GaN MMICs enable radar systems designers to reduce time to market with a less costly, less complex, 50V power amplifier line-up, while delivering what it claims to be the most efficiency possible.

With a combination of power, gain, and efficiency in low-cost plastic packaging, these new MMICs, available in 15 and 30W options, can operate as drivers for higher-voltage HEMT devices used in the output stage for S-band civil and military pulsed-radar amplifiers, or as output stage devices for S-band phased-array radar applications.

“Wolfspeed will demonstrate the industry’s first 50V MMICs for S-band radar systems, our 15W/50V and 30W/50V S-band MMICs, at the 2017 International Microwave Symposium (IMS),” said Jim Milligan, RF and microwave Director, Wolfspeed. “50V operation offers many advantages over 28V operation. In addition to enabling wider bandwidth performance from the simplified impedance matching, the higher voltage results in lower current and therefore lower I2R losses in power distribution systems. The higher voltage also generates a higher RF power density resulting in a physically smaller MMIC for a given RF output power, which supports smaller, lighter weight radar systems.”

The new MMICs complement Wolfspeed’s previously released high performance CGHV35150 and CGH31500/CGH35400 output stage devices by operating as driver stages for these 150 and 400W devices, or as output stage devices for phased array radar applications covering full S-band applications at 2.7-3.5GHz.

Designed for frequencies spanning 2.7-3.5GHz, the 15W/50V CMPA2735015S GaN MMIC provides 34dB small signal gain and 21W output power at pulsed PSAT with a 500μ pulse width and ten percent duty cycle. The 30W/50V CMPA2735030S GaN MMICs are also designed for frequencies of 2.7–3.5GHz, and provide 34dB small signal gain and 41W output power at pulsed PSAT with a 500μ pulse width and ten percent duty cycle.

Additionally, the 50V GaN MMICs feature a two-stage, 50Ω, reactively matched amplifier design to enable high power and additional power efficiency in a 5x5mm surface mount QFN package. Because the part is fully matched to 50Ω, the matching circuitry moves from the PCB and onto the MMIC chip – making the customer’s implementation easier and reducing the overall size of the design. Both MMICs are available as bare die.

Wolfspeed GaN-on-SiC RF devices are enabling next-gen broadband, public safety, and ISM (industrial, scientific, and medical) amplifiers; broadcast, satellite, and tactical communications amplifiers; UAV data links; cellular infrastructure; test instrumentation; and two way private radios.