Learn about GaN application fields in one article
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With the advancement of technology, GaN is becoming more and more popular among engineers. Today, let’s take a look at the specific application areas of GaN .
- Military and aerospace applications
Military satellite
GaN is playing an increasingly important role in these systems as manufacturers begin to migrate from traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) and GaAs technology because GaN is more reliable, more powerful, and more rugged than other semiconductor technologies .
As power density increases, GaN enables the combination of solid-state monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) to reach power levels previously only achievable with TWTAs, such as Qorvo's Spatium, which uses patented spatial combining technology to increase RF power, high efficiency, and broadband operating frequency.
Spatium uses a broadband polar finline antenna to launch into and from an oversized coaxial waveguide, split into multiple microstrip circuits.
radar
The RF front end (RFFE) in satellite networks will increasingly leverage high-power solid-state broadband technologies such as GaN. Continued improvements in GaN performance will help enable solutions with high power output in AESA systems.
The main advantages of GaN technology can be attributed to several attributes including linearity, power, efficiency, reliability, size and weight. In AESE systems, reliability is extremely important and GaN can operate reliably at higher channel temperature conditions.
The high PAE of GaN MMICs means lower power consumption for a given output power, lower cooling requirements and lower operating costs.
In addition, using high-gain, high-PEA GaN MMICs in radar platforms can reduce the size and cost of the entire system. This helps meet the more stringent size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) requirements of new AESA radar systems. Meeting SWaP-C requirements is extremely important in aerospace systems where weight and size must be minimized.
Electronic warfare
EW applications require electronics with broadband power and efficiency, small size, and minimal weight. These systems must also operate at high operating temperatures, have high reliability, and be able to operate in extremely harsh environments. As a result, technologies like GaN and GaAs are widely used, and in the EW space we continue to see a transition from tube-based systems to solid-state GaN and GaAs technologies.
Advances in GaN MMIC technology combined with GaN packaging have further accelerated the delivery of solutions that increase bandwidth, reduce form factor, improve thermal performance, and provide low-cost plastic packaging for EW applications. As contractors seek to develop smaller, wider bandwidth, higher capacity, lower cost, and more powerful EW solutions, GaN is the new technology of choice.
- Uses in Commercial Applications
5G Infrastructure
There are three main reasons why 5G is rapidly adopting GaN: meeting the needs of increased power output, higher operating frequencies, and lower power consumption. Since the PA consumes the most energy in the 5G RFFE, system designers are focusing on improving amplifier efficiency. Fortunately, efficiency is one of GaN’s key attributes.
GaN can bring new levels of energy efficiency to many infrastructure applications. GaN can reduce system power consumption, saving operators money and making systems more “green.”
For FWA to achieve its target gigabit speeds, very high output power must be achieved. As shown in Figure 4-2, a high-efficiency GaN Doherty PA can easily meet the 65 dBm isotropic radiated power (EIRP) requirement.
Figure 4-2: Trade-off between antenna array element count and RFFE process technology.
GaN has higher antenna gain and lower noise figure because these parameters are determined by the waveform shaping gain. To achieve 65 dBm EIRP using a uniform rectangular array, the PA power output per channel will decrease as the number of elements increases, as shown in Figure 4-2. Since GaN has more power per channel than silicon, using GaN technology, the antenna array can achieve the required power output with fewer active elements.
Wired broadband applications
Linearity and efficiency are key considerations when selecting HFC amplifiers, which is why GaN is the primary technology choice. GaN’s high efficiency allows for higher linear output power and lower DC power consumption. This allows cable TV designers to achieve wider bandwidths and higher data rates while extending the distance between amplifiers and maximizing reliability.
Commercial Satellite
GaN and GaAs enable a wide range of commercial satellite communications applications, such as 5G backhaul, ultra-high-definition TV transmission, mobile satellite communications, airplane passenger internet access, and man-portable (portable) terminals.
These trends are why manufacturers are moving away from tube-based systems toward solid-state devices such as GaN that support higher data throughput and smaller size. In commercial satellite communications applications, GaN offers significant advantages in high-power amplification. In addition, GaN supports high-frequency bands used in satellite communications, such as X, Ku, K, and Ka bands.
Just as military and aerospace satellite applications are beginning to move away from TWTAs, commercial satellite solutions are undergoing the same transition. This shift is driven by solid-state GaN used in MMIC or space combination products such as Qorvo’s Spatium, which provide instant-on capability, required low voltage rails, lower noise figure, and higher reliability.
In the 5G era, GaN has become an indispensable and important raw material. With the continuous development of GaN technology, its market growth will continue to accelerate. Engineers who want to learn more about the bright future of GaN can click to read the original article .
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