High-efficiency GaAs-based pHEMT power amplifier technology for 1-18 GHz

Author

Pusl, J.A. ; Brown, J.J. ; Shealy, J.B. ; Hu, M. ; Schmitz, A.E. ; Docter, D.P. ; Case, M.G. ; Thompson, M.A. ; Nguyen, L.D.

Author_Institution

Hughes Space & Commun. Co., Los Angeles, CA, USA

Volume

2

fYear

1996

fDate

17-21 June 1996

Firstpage

693

Abstract

Performance and reliability data for a high-efficiency microwave power amplifier design utilizing AlGaAs-InGaAs-GaAs pHEMTs are reported. A single stage MIC amplifier fabricated with a 5.6 mm gate width pHEMT resulted in P/sub out/=2.5 W and PAE=73% at 4 GHz. Twenty three amplifiers with similar performance were built with devices from 4 different wafer lots. Currently, these amplifiers are undergoing an RF lifetest and have shown no change thus far to the 2000 h point. This GaAs-based pHEMT device technology supports amplifier module designs in the 1-18 GHz frequency range with output powers up to 20 W.

Keywords

HEMT circuits; III-V semiconductors; gallium arsenide; hybrid integrated circuits; integrated circuit reliability; integrated circuit testing; life testing; microwave field effect transistors; microwave integrated circuits; microwave power amplifiers; microwave power transistors; power HEMT; power amplifiers; power field effect transistors; 1 to 18 GHz; 2.5 W; 20 W; 73 percent; AlGaAs-InGaAs-GaAs; GaAs; GaAs-based PHEMT; RF lifetest; high-efficiency operation; microwave power amplifier; reliability data; single stage MIC amplifier; Fabrication; Gallium arsenide; Gold; High power amplifiers; Molecular beam epitaxial growth; PHEMTs; Radio frequency; Radiofrequency amplifiers; Space technology; Temperature measurement;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Microwave Symposium Digest, 1996., IEEE MTT-S International

Conference_Location

San Francisco, CA, USA

ISSN

0149-645X

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3246-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MWSYM.1996.511034

Filename

511034