Application Note: Pulsed S-Parameter Measurements

Many devices, particularly power devices, were not designed to operate continuously or with CW signals. When devices are being tested on-wafer, this becomes even truer since thermal resistance is often greatly increased. In these cases, S-parameter measurements must often be performed in a pulsed environment. The objective of this article is to provide an understanding of performing general S-parameter measurements with a vector network analyzer (VNA) across a range of pulsed conditions for both RF and microwave/mm-wave measurement applications.