Toshiba adds high gain 50W GaN HEMT power amplifier for C-band satcom apps

ANAHEIM, USA: Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) and its parent company, Toshiba Corp., announced the addition of a 50W C-Band gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) to its power amplifier product family.

The new device will be shown at the 2010 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium, during the conference exhibition, May 25-27 in Anaheim, California.

The 50W TGI7785-50L is another commercial C-Band GaN HEMT for satellite communication applications from Toshiba, joining a 120W C-Band amplifier introduced last year, and other GaN Toshiba Ku-Band devices. The new device operates in the 7.7GHz to 8.5GHz range. RF performance specifications include output power of 47.0dBm (typ.)with 40dBm input power, linear gain of 11.0dB (typ.) and drain current of 5.0 Amps(typ.). This device enables increased output power and helps reduce size and weight in solid state power amplifiers (SSPA) for SATCOM applications.

"Our initial entry into C-Band GaN HEMTs was at the high end of the output power range, because microwave system designers have initially used GaAs devices for intermediate stage amplification to drive higher output GaN devices," said Homayoun Ghani, business development manager, Microwave, RF and Small Signal Devices, in TAEC's Discrete Business Unit.

"This 50W GaN HEMT provides additional design flexibility by enabling use of higher performance GaN at a mid-amplification stage. It provides higher linear gain of 11dB compared to our conventional GaAs FETs with similar output power (45W and 60W), which have the gain of 6dB (typ.)."

Toshiba's commercial GaN power amplifiers have been in volume production since 2008, starting with the Ku-band TGI1414-50L power amplifier, which operates in the 14.0GHz to 14.5GHz range for satellite communication applications.

GaN technology provides superior device performance such as high gain and efficiency in the SATCOM and RADAR markets. Toshiba is exploring new markets for this technology and will continue its efforts to develop additional GaN devices in C-, Ku and other bands with higher output power.

Samples of the TGI7785-50L are available now, with mass production scheduled for 3Q 2010.