Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T22:23:58.570Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Performance of SiC Microwave Transistors in Power Amplifiers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Sher Azam
Affiliation:
[email protected], Linköping Unversity
R. Jonsson
Affiliation:
[email protected], Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), Linkaoping, 58111, Sweden
E. Janzen
Affiliation:
[email protected], Linkaoping University, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linkaoping, 58183, Sweden
Q. Wahab
Affiliation:
[email protected], Linkaoping University, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linkaoping, 58183, Sweden
Get access

Abstract

The performance of SiC microwave power transistors is studied in fabricated class-AB power amplifiers and class-C switching power amplifier using physical structure of an enhanced version of previously fabricated and tested SiC MESFET. The results for pulse input in class-C at 1 GHz are; efficiency of 71.4 %, power density of 1.0 W/mm. The switching loss was 0.424 W/mm. The results for two class-AB power amplifiers are; the 30-100 MHz amplifier showed 45.6 dBm (∼ 36 W) output powers at P1dB, at 50 MHz. The power added efficiency (PAE) is 48 % together with 21 dB of power gain. The maximum output power at P1dB at 60 V drain bias and Vg= -8.5 V was 46.7 dBm (∼47 W). The typical results obtained in 200-500 MHz amplifier are; at 60 V drain bias the P1dB is 43.85 dBm (24 W) except at 300 MHz where only 41.8 dBm was obtained. The maximum out put power was 44.15 dBm (26 W) at 500 MHz corresponding to a power density of 5.2 W/mm. The PAE @ P1dB [%] at 500 MHz is 66 %.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2008

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] Pribble, W. L., Palmour, J. W., Sheppard, S. T., Smith, R. P., Allen, S. T., Smith, T. J., etal “Application of SiC MESFET's and GaN HEMT's in power amplifier design,” in IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. Dig., vol. 3, Seattle, WA, pp. 18191822, Jun. 2002.Google Scholar
[2] Moore, K. E., Weitzel, C. E., Nordquist, K. J., Pond III, L. L., Palmour, J. W., Allen, S., and Carter, C. H. Jr., “4H-SiC MESFET with 65.7% power added efficiency at 850MHz,” IEEE Trans. Electron Device Lett., vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 6970, Feb. 1997.Google Scholar
[3] Zhang, A. P., Rowland, L. B., Kaminsky, E. B., Kretchmer, J. W., Beaupre, R. A., Garrett, J. L., and Tucker, J. B., “Microwave power SiC MESFET's and GaN HEMTs,” in IEEE Lester Eastman High Performance Devices Conf., Newark, DE, pp. 181185, Aug. 2002.Google Scholar
[4] Walden, M. G. and Knight, M., “Evaluation of commercially available SiC MESFET's for phased array radar applications,” in IEEE Int. Electron Devices for Microwave and Optoelectronic Applications Symp., Manchester, U.K., pp. 166171, Nov. 2002.Google Scholar
[5] Broch, J. F., Temcamani, F.,1 Pouvil, P., Noblanc, O. and Prigent, J. P.Power Amplification With Silicon Carbide MesfetMicrowave and Optical Technology Letters / Vol. 23, No. 1, October 5, 1999 Google Scholar
[6] Sher Azam, Jonsson, R. and Wahab, Q. “Single-stage, High Efficiency, 26-Watt power Amplifier using SiC LE-MESFET” IEEE Asia Pacific Microwave Conf. (APMC), Yoko Hama (Japan), pp. 441444, December 2006.Google Scholar
[7] Fischer, G. “Architectural benefits of wide band gap RF power transistors for frequency agile base station systems” IEEE WAMI, Florida 2004, FD1 Google Scholar
[8] Eriksson, J., Rorsman, N., Zirath, H., Jonsson, R., Wahab, Q., Rudner, S., “A comparison between Physical Simulations and Experimental results in 4H-Si C MESFETs with Non-Constant Doping in the Channel and Buffer Layers”, Material Science Forum, 2001, Vols. 353-356, pp. 699702.Google Scholar
[9] Azam, S., Svenson, C. and Wahab, Q.,“Pulse Input Class-C Power Amplifier Response of SiC MESFET using Physical Transistor Structure in TCAD.” In press J. of Solid State Electronics.Google Scholar
[10] Azam, S. and Wahab, Q.: “GaN and SiC Based High Frequency Power Amplifiers”, Review article submitted to the book “Micro and Nano Electronics”, which will be published by NAM S&T Center, New Dehli.Google Scholar