Large area integration of embedded high power RF amplifiers in a thin organic panel

The advent of highly efficient wide band-gap Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) allows for low cost packaging of amplifiers with antennas in a single multi-layer panel. This paper reports on the design, fabrication, and measurement of a panelized Transmit/Receive (T/R) array designed for a Digital Array Radar (DAR) at 3.3 GHz. This panel uses simplified plastic packaging for high performance Gallium Nitride (GaN) amplifiers to remove heat in a very simple and effective manner. This integration approach is shown to keep the high power amplifiers cool enough to maintain optimal performance and transmit an instantaneous power of over 25 watts per element.