Zero-In On The Best RF Transistor Technology For Radar High Power Amplifier Designs

The top solid-state, high power amplifiers (HPAs), especially those in critical defense, aerospace, and weather-radar applications, are built on an ideally suited discrete or integrated RF power transistor. The transistors used today utilize well established, legacy device technologies such as silicon bipolar and silicon VDMOS power transistors, silicon LDMOS, and gallium-nitride (GaN) on silicon-carbide (GaN-on-SiC or GaN/SiC) high-electron-mobility-transistor (HEMT) power transistors. This application note discusses the best practices for evaluating the best transistor options for HPAs, and offers a number of examples of ideal fits for certain types of applications at different frequencies, and under different waveform conditions. Download the full paper for more information.