Performance of GaAs on silicon power amplifier for wireless handset applications

Recently RF devices formed by the epitaxial growth of GaAs on a Si substrate have been demonstrated. The RF performance of these new devices compares well with devices on a conventional GaAs substrate process. This new GaAs-on-Si technology has the potential for replacing expensive RF components such as power amplifiers with lower cost devices fabricated on GaAs-on-Si while still maintaining good DC-RF performance. This paper presents the RF performance of these GaAs/STO/Si devices and shows for the first time their viability as power amplifiers in wireless handsets.