Smaller and more reliable 65V GaN technology makes radar more powerful

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Smaller and more reliable 65V GaN technology makes radar more powerful [Copy link]

Radar equipment not only plays an important role in the security and defense work of national defense departments , but also has a wide range of applications in the commercial field, such as air traffic, maritime transportation, weather monitoring and aircraft collision avoidance systems . At present, the design of radar is becoming more and more miniaturized in terms of demand, and can reliably meet the target parameters of IFF and DME applications.

In response to the needs of radar miniaturization and reliability, 65V operating voltage GaN technology has achieved the above goals, namely reducing the size, reducing operating costs and reducing the complexity of the RF front end. Let's take a look at 65V GaN technology .

The Role of RF Technology in Radar

GaN is rapidly gaining favor in numerous applications due to the high gain and high power levels it enables in the L -band and above, and more recently in the UHF band.

GaN HEMT transistors are typically produced on silicon carbide ( SiC ) substrates; SiC substrates have excellent heat dissipation properties 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.

Due to the excellent power density, the output capacitance per watt is lower. This allows high efficiency harmonic tuning at the output, typically above 70% to 80% at kilowatt ( kW ) power levels .

Why use high voltage 65V GaN ?

The market requires power amplification 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.

Advantages of 65V GaN Technology

GaN provides higher electric field strength than silicon-based LDMOS solutions from the outset. Compared to LDMOS , its higher electron mobility enables smaller form factors for a given on-resistance and breakdown voltage. The characteristics of 65V GaN-on-SiC are as follows:

Higher power density – fewer transistors and smaller overall component size

Lower power consumption —reduced system-level current consumption and power supply requirements

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 temperatures, and longer lifetime. These benefits combine to improve the overall performance of radar systems.

Radar applications are growing exponentially, continuing to serve the military and commercial fields. A good radar needs a good chip. If you want to learn about the relevant 65V GaN chip information in radar design, please click to read the original article .