Current status and emerging trends in RF power FET technologies

The growth in ISM and wireless communications markets, and the transition to 3G and embedded transceivers, are motivating an intense study of RFIC technologies. The power amplifier (PA) plays a critical role in the size, efficiency, and thermal requirements of wireless handsets. This paper reviews state-of-the-art and emerging power semiconductor devices for RF PAs. Comparisons are presented in terms of key specifications such as PAE, power gain, VSWR, package thermal resistance, and integrability.