Wolfspeed, A Cree Company, a global leader in wide bandgap semiconductor technology and the premier provider of the industry’s most field-tested SiC power and GaN-on-SiC RF solutions, 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 the most efficiency possible.
With a best-in-class combination of power, gain, and efficiency in low-cost plastic packaging, these new MMICs, available in 15W 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. “50-volt operation offers many advantages over 28-volt 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 150W and 400W devices, or as output stage devices for phased array radar applications covering full S-band applications at 2.7–3.5GHz.
