High efficiency InGaP/GaAs HBT power amplifiers

The goal of this paper is to give an overview of the performances of InGaP HBTs for X-band power applications. A reminder of the peculiarities concerning this device, compared to the more conventional GaAlAs/GaAs HBT, is given as an introduction. A presentation of some recent Thomson-CSF X-band power results are presented and compared to the literature. Finally, a synthesis of the latest results in HBT reliability is presented. This last point is the very challenging aspect of HBT technology, since the present RF performances are sufficient for X-band applications.