Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T21:15:02.415Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

InAlN/GaN HEMTs based L-band high-power packaged amplifiers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2014

Olivier Jardel ,
Jean-Claude Jacquet ,
Lény Baczkowski ,
Dominique Carisetti ,
Didier Lancereau ,
Maxime Olivier ,
Raphaël Aubry ,
Marie-Antoinette di Forte Poisson ,
Christian Dua  and
Stéphane Piotrowicz
...Show all authors
Olivier Jardel*
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
Jean-Claude Jacquet
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
Lény Baczkowski
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
Dominique Carisetti
Affiliation:
LATPI, Campus Polytechnique, 1 Avenue Augustin Fresnel, 91767 Palaiseau Cedex, France
Didier Lancereau
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
Maxime Olivier
Affiliation:
Thales Air Systems S.A.S, ZI du Mont Jarret, 76520 Ymare, France
Raphaël Aubry
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
Marie-Antoinette di Forte Poisson
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
Christian Dua
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
Stéphane Piotrowicz
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
Sylvain L. Delage
Affiliation:
III–V Lab, route de Nozay, 91461 Marcoussis Cedex, France. Phone: +33 1 30 77 68 64
*
Corresponding author: O. Jardel Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper presents power results of L-band packaged hybrid amplifiers using InAlN/GaN/SiC HEMT power dies. The high-power densities achieved both in pulsed and continuous wave (cw) modes confirm the interest of such technology for high-frequency, high-power, and high-temperature operation. We present here record RF power measurements for different versions of amplifiers. Up to 260 W, i.e. 3.6 W/mm, in pulsed (10 µs/10%) conditions, and 105 W, i.e. 2.9 W/mm, in cw conditions were achieved. Such results are made possible thanks to the impressive performances of InAlN/GaN transistors, even when operating at high temperatures. Unit cell transistors deliver output powers of 4.3 W/mm at Vds = 40 V in the cw mode of operation at the frequency of 2 GHz. The transistor process is described here, as well as the amplifiers design and measurements, with a particular focus to the thermal management aspects.

Keywords

Technologies and devices (III–V, nano, quantum, opto)Power amplifiers and linearizers
Type
Research Papers
Information
International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies , Volume 6 , Special Issue 6: Mediterranean Microwave Symposium 2013 , December 2014 , pp. 565 - 572
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1] Kim, K.-W.; Kwack, J.-Y.; Cho, S.: 1 KW solid state power amplifier for L-band radar system, in 2011 Third Int. Asia-Pacific Conf. Synthetic Aperture Radar (APSAR), 1–4.Google Scholar
[2] Shigematsu, H. et al. : C-band 340-W and X-band 100-W GaN power amplifiers with over 50-% PAE, in 2009 IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. Digest (MTT’09), 1265–1268.Google Scholar
[3] Kosaka, N. et al. : An S-band GaN on Si high power amplifier with 170 W output power and 70% drain efficiency, in 2012 IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symp. (CSICS), 1–4.Google Scholar
[4] Maehara, H. et al. : Internally matched GaN FET at C-band with 220 W output power and 56% power added efficiency, in 2012 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conf. Proc. (APMC), 358–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[5] Okamoto, Y. et al. : 230 W C-band GaN-FET power amplifier. Electron. Lett., 43 (17) (2007), 927–929.Google Scholar
[6] Kwack, J.-Y.; Kim, K.-W.; Cho, S.: l kW S-band solid state radar amplifier, in 2011 IEEE 12th Annual Wireless and Microwave Technology Conf. (WAMICON), 1–4.Google Scholar
[7] Rochette, S. et al. : A high efficiency 140 W power amplifier based on a single GaN HEMT device for space applications in L-band, in 2012 Seventh European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conf. (EuMIC), 127–130.Google Scholar
[8] Krishnamurthy, K.; Poulton, M.J.; Martin, J.; Vetury, R.; Brown, J.D.; Shealy, J.B.: A 250 W S-Band GaN HEMT amplifier, in CSIC 2007 IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symp., 2007, 1–4.Google Scholar
[9] Yamanaka, K.; Kimura, M.; Chaki, S.; Nakayama, M.; Hirano, Y.: S-band internally harmonic matched GaN FET with 330 W output power and 62% PAE, in 2011 European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conf. (EuMIC), 244–247.Google Scholar
[10] Joh, J.; del Alamo, J. A.: Mechanism for electrical degradation of GaN high-electron mobility transistors, in IEDM Technical Digest, 2006, 415–418.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[11] Faqir, M. et al. : Mechanisms of RF current collapse in AlGaN–GaN high electron mobility transistors. IEEE Trans. Device Mater. Reliab., 8 (2) (2008), 240–247.Google Scholar
[12] Cen, Y.F.; McCann, D.: 100 W GaN PA in low cost 3 × 6 mm plastic DFN package providing the smallest “True SMT” footprint for Pulse RADAR applications, in Proc. Seventh European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conf., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 29–30 October 2012, 333–336.Google Scholar
[13] Floriot, D. et al. : New qualified industrial AlGaN/GaN HEMT process: power performances & reliability figures of merit, in Proc. Seventh European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conf., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 29–30 October 2012, 317–320.Google Scholar
[14] Maier, D. et al. : InAlN/GaN HEMTs for operation in the 1000°C regime: a first experiment. IEEE Electron Device Lett., 3 (7) (2012), 385–387.Google Scholar
[15] Herfurth, P. et al. : Ultrathin body InAlN/GaN HEMTs for high-temperature 600°C electronics. IEEE Electron Device Lett., 34 (4) (2013), 496–498.Google Scholar
[16] Kuzmik, J.: Material and device issues of InAlN/GaN heterostructures, in 2012 Ninth Int. Conf. Advanced Semiconductor Devices & Microsystems (ASDAM), 11–15 November 2012, 45–50.Google Scholar
[17] Kuzmik, J. et al. : Analysis of degradation mechanisms in lattice-matched InAlN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors. J. Appl. Phys., 106 (12) (2009), 124503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[18] Sarazin, N. et al. : AlInN/AlN/GaN HEMT technology on SiC with 10-W/mm and 50% PAE at 10 GHz. IEEE Electron Device Lett., 31 (1) (2010), 11–13.Google Scholar
[19] Crespo, A. et al. : High power Ka-band performance of AlInN/GaN HEMT with 9.8-nm thin barrier. IEEE Electron Device Lett., 31 (1) (2010), 2–4.Google Scholar
[20] Jardel, O. et al. : First demonstration of AlInN/GaN HEMTs amplifiers at K band, in 2012 IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. Digest (MTT), 2012, 1–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[21] Piotrowicz, S. et al. : 160 W InAlN/GaN HEMTs amplifier at 2 GHz with optimized thermal management, in 2012 IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symp. (CSICS), 2012, 1–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[22] Eickelkamp, M. et al. : Electrical properties of thermally oxidized AlInN/AlN/GaN-based metal oxide semiconductor hetero field effect transistors. J. Appl. Phys., 110 (2011), 084501; doi: 10.1063/1.3647589.Google Scholar
[23] Jardel, O. et al. : An electrothermal model for AlGaN/GaN power HEMTs including trapping effects to improve large-signal simulation results on high VSWR. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech., 55 (12) (part 2) (2007), 2660–2669.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[24] Carisetti, D. et al. : Infrared thermography developments for III-V transistors and MMICs, in ISTFA 2011: Conf. Proc. from the 37th Int. Symp. Testing and Failure Analysis (ASM International), November 2011, 230–233.Google Scholar