GaN voltages are getting higher? 65V GaN technology transforms the radar market: What does this mean for you?
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It means changing the solution and changing the pipe.
65V GaN processes are enabling a new generation of radar systems designed to improve safety and monitor a wide range of commercial applications. 65V GaN will also help drive continued growth in the radar market through 2027. According to Strategy Analytics, the market size for radar applications will exceed $1 billion by 2022, with 65V GaN process products expected to account for the majority of this market.
In this blog post, we will explore how this technology is transforming radar systems and contributing to this growing field.
A brief background on radar applications
Radar equipment plays an important role in the security and defense work of defense departments of various countries. These radar systems were originally developed for defense and military purposes, but are now also widely used in commercial fields, such as air traffic, maritime transportation, weather monitoring and aircraft collision avoidance systems.
Radar systems in military applications improve national security. The growth of safety and security applications and the increase in defense budgets are driving the demand for such systems. Technological advances such as power amplification have also contributed to the development of lightweight radars and have a positive impact on market growth. In addition, these technological advances are aimed at reducing the size of the system, thereby opening up new opportunities for commercial and maritime radar equipment.
The Role of RF Technology in Radar
In recent years, a variety of RF amplification technologies have been used in radar systems, such as bipolar silicon, silicon LDMOS, gallium arsenide (GaAs) and traveling wave tube technology. Recently, gallium nitride (GaN) HEMT has become the leader in RF and microwave power technology in radar applications due to its superior technical performance.
GaN is rapidly gaining traction in numerous applications due to its high gain and high power levels at L-band and above, and more recently at UHF. GaN HEMT transistors are typically produced on silicon carbide (SiC) substrates, which provide excellent heat dissipation for long-term reliability. The GaN-on-SiC process is well suited for high-power pulsed applications, where the power density allows for optimal cooling. The output capacitance per watt is lower due to the excellent power density. This allows for high-efficiency harmonic tuning at the output, typically above 70% to 80% at kilowatt (kW) power levels.
Why high voltage 65V GaN?
Long-range detection radars are widely used in aerospace and defense, and are deployed for target surveillance, including weapon detection and target location. The most common military radar markets include UHF radars, AESA radars, aerospace friend-or-foe identification (IFF), and distance measurement equipment (DME). Such markets require power amplification of up to hundreds or thousands of watts. In the kilowatt range, typical power amplification is achieved by combining multiple solid-state power transistors or using substrate solutions.
However, Qorvo has created transistor products in the high power range by using GaN with a higher operating voltage. Qorvo's 65V operating voltage GaN technology not only brings higher kilowatt-level power amplification, but also provides a better heat dissipation solution for such radar applications. In addition, it more reliably meets the target parameters of IFF and DME applications with a more compact form factor.
Advantages of 65V GaN Technology
Today, radar design engineers face significant challenges due to the high complexity of radar systems. Current and next-generation systems must be smaller and operate at lower operating costs. These three major market drivers will push radar engineers to explore solid-state solutions such as GaN.
65V GaN-on-SiC technology achieves these goals of reduced form factor, lower operating costs, and reduced RF front-end complexity. The technology uses a higher operating voltage at the transistor level, enabling high output power in the kilowatt range with a single transistor, giving designers greater flexibility. It also reduces design complexity by combining fewer transistors to achieve the power levels required by radar systems. These high-voltage, high-power transistors are extremely efficient, reaching 70-80% at UHF and L-band frequencies.
To demonstrate the true benefits of 65V GaN-on-SiC technology, let’s compare LDMOS and 65V GaN-on-SiC in a radar application. Using LDMOS technology requires system engineers to create complex power combinations to achieve power levels of several kilowatts; GaN-on-SiC transistors simplify the combination and use fewer components to achieve the same power level, saving design time while reducing system complexity and cost. Another benefit of high voltage is lower current. For the same output power, a GaN-on-SiC system operating at 65V requires less DC current from the power supply, allowing the use of smaller conductors, reducing DC losses and reducing weight. In addition, GaN-on-SiC is more efficient than LDMOS.
GaN-on-SiC provides higher electric field strength than silicon-based LDMOS solutions from the outset. Its higher electron mobility enables smaller form factors for a given on-resistance and breakdown voltage compared to LDMOS. The characteristics of 65V GaN-on-SiC are as follows:
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Higher power density – fewer transistors and smaller overall component size
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Lower power consumption—reduced system-level current consumption and power supply requirements
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Easier matching capability - increasing output power while maintaining usable output impedance
Today's radar systems are increasingly using GaN-on-SiC RF transistor technology for a variety of reasons, including higher power, better efficiency, better ruggedness, lower power consumption, smaller size, greater frequency availability, higher channel temperature, and longer life. These benefits combine to improve the performance of radar systems across the board. As you can see in the table below, Qorvo's GaN-on-SiC technology has evolved into a variety of varieties that are widely applicable to a variety of radar applications. Recently, while working with radar customers, Qorvo developed a specific 65V GaN-on-SiC solution. This 65V GaN technology can more effectively meet the higher power requirements of current radar applications.
As shown in the table below, Qorvo has a variety of GaN devices to address the UHF and L-band radar markets. Due to their leading power added efficiency (PAE), these transistors effectively reduce system temperature, size and weight.
Radar applications are growing exponentially, serving both military and commercial sectors. Qorvo scientists working on GaN technology have collaborated with radar customers in these advanced fields to create products that are tailored to their unique applications. 65V GaN-on-SiC is one of the solutions developed to match the best technology with evolving application needs. GaN solutions enable radar system engineers to design more competitive, lower-cost radars and reduce operating expenses over their lifetime. Qorvo 65V GaN not only meets the needs of our radar customers, but also demonstrates how working together with our customers can help existing technologies enter new market segments, helping RF design engineers create the best next-generation radar solutions.
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