A Compact 60W X-Band GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC

The design and performance of a compact X-band power amplifier MMIC utilizing Nanjing Electronic Devices Institute's (NEDI's) 0.25 μm gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) technology is presented. The MMIC operates in pulse conditions with typical pulse width of 100 μsec and 10% duty cycle. An output power of 47.5 dBm to 48.7 dBm with over 20 dB power gain and a power added efficiency (PAE) of 40% to 45% over the band of 8-12 GHz under a drain voltage of 28 V have been achieved. The chip size is 3.5 × 3.8 mm
²
and the amplifier delivers an output power density up to 5.57 W/mm
²
over the chip area and up to 6.43 W/mm over the active periphery of the power stage. The thermal resistance is 1.7 °C/W measured in CW mode.