RF vs. DC breakdown: implication on pulsed radar applications [MESFETs]

RF breakdown characteristics of GaAs MESFETs were found to correlate well with their DC breakdown characteristics, provided sufficient dwell time at the quiescent state with sufficient drain-gate voltage was allowed before the MESFETs were turned on. This implies that, for radar applications in which MESFET power amplifiers are rapidly cycled on and off by pulsing the drain voltage, their performance and reliability may be compromised.