GaN High Power Amplifiers: Optimal Solutions Addressing Pico to Macro BTS Demands David Runton; Engineering Director, PBBU David Aichele; Marketing Director, PBBU IWPC Atlanta 2012 IWPC Chicago • 2010 1 Cellular Base Transceiver Station (BTS) High efficiency, GaN high power amplifiers for 3G & 4G Networks BTS Market Drivers • • • • • Linear PA for 3G and 4G Increased data demand (more bandwidth) Reduce size and weight High reliability Lower system cost Why GaN? • High peak efficiency – Peak efficiency ~70% – Correlation with high power density Product Platforms 2 • • • • • High temperature operation Multi-band, multi-standard linear PA Wide signal bandwidth operation High efficiency PA techniques Small form factor High Power Gallium Nitride (GaN) Advantages & Benefits • Scale - Build GaN in existing GaAs fabs—scaledriven cost • Linearity and Bandwidth - Improved performance—especially for LTE/WiMAX GaN Offers Superior Output Power Capability • Green - More power efficient per mW of RF power • Power and Size - More RF power per mm2 • Opex/Capex - Lower BOM and operating costs = reduced total cost of ownership 1000 SiC MESFET Power (Watts) . 3GHz Multiple Few Competing Competing Technologies Technologies 100 GaN HEMT Silicon GaAs HBT 10 1 GaAs HEMT 0.1 1 3 10 Frequency (GHz) 100 RFMD High Power GaN Products ® UPT PowerIC MPT BPT Switch RFSW2100 Product Update RF393X released RF393XD Die released RFHA394X Sampling Product Update RF3826 released RFHA1000 released RFHA1001 released RFHA1003 released RFHA1006 released RF3833 Sampling Product Update RF3928 released RF3928B released RFHA1023 released RFHA1020 released RFHA1025 released Product Update RFG1M20180 released RFG1M09180 released RFG1M20090 released RFG1M09090 released RFHA1042 released RFHA1043 released Product Update RFSW2100 Sampling Target Markets General Purpose UHF L S-Band Radar Military Comms Electronic Warfare Industrial Target Markets General Purpose Military Comms PMR Comms Electronic Warfare Radar Target Markets ATC Radar Civilian Radar Military Radar L-Band Radar S-Band Radar Target Markets BTS Cellular Commercial Infrastructure Military Comms PMR Comms Electronic Warfare Target Markets Communications Test Instrumentation Fiber Optics Military Aerospace Summary 30 to 140W CW 48V unmatched GaN FETs tunable DC to 3.5Ghz Summary 10 to 40W input matched broadband amplifiers 28V to 48V, constant gain Summary 250 to 500W PW 36V to 65V matched for LBand and S-Band frequencies Summary 50W to 180W input matched broadband amplifiers 48V Summary 30W & 50W P0.1dB DC to 6GHz SPDT GaN Switch RFMD GaN-1 Unmatched Power Transistors (UPT) ® Product Description The RF393X series consist of 48 V high power discrete GaN amplifier designed for commercial wireless, military, industrial, and general purpose applications. Ease of integration is accomplished through simple, optimized matching networks external to the hermetic, flanged package providing peak power, wideband gain and power performance in a single amplifier. Product Features – – – – High Power Density > 6W/mm 48V bias operation (works 20V to 48V) High terminal impedance – tunable wide BW Peak Drain Efficiency ~65% @ 2.1GHz RF3932 Data Specifications UPT Part Number Freq (GHz) P3dB @ 900MHz (W) SS Gain @ 0.9GHz (dB) DE 0.9GHz (%) P3dB 2.1GHz (W) SS Gain @ 2.1GHz (dB) DE 2.1GHz (%) Vd (V) Pkg Prod Status Export Class RF3931 DC-3.5 50 20 70 45 15 65 48 RF360-2 Now EAR99 RF3932 DC–3.5 78 21 73 75 14 65 48 RF360-2 Now 3A001b.3.a RF3933 DC–3.5 116 21 70 100 14 60 48 RF360-2 Now 3A001b.3.a RF3934 DC-3.5 145 21 75 140 13 60 48 RF360-2 Now 3A001b.3.a 5 RF393XD Die Version Available RFMD GaN Broadband Power Transistors (BPT) ® Product Description RFG1M20180 The BPT series is optimized for commercial infrastructure, military communication and general purpose amplifier applications. Designed for high peak-to-average ratio and pulsed applications, these high performance amplifiers achieve high efficiency and flat gain over a broad frequency range in a single amplifier design. Simple, optimized matching networks external to the ceramic flanged package provide wideband gain, efficiency, and linear performance in a single amplifier. Product Features – High terminal impedance, wideband performance – Applicable for high efficiency techniques, such as Doherty & Envelope tracking – High peak power and efficiency Specifications BPT Part # Freq (GHz) Peak Power (W) SS gain (dB) ACP @ 7.5dB PAR (dBc) Drain Eff (%) Vd (V) Package Samples Prod. Status Export RFG1M20090 1.8 -2.2 90 15 -36 36 48 RF465-2 Now Now EAR99 RFG1M20180 1.8 - 2.2 180 15 -38 31 48 RF465-2 Now Now EAR99 RFG1M09090 0.7 - 1.0 90 20 -34 38 48 RF465-2 Now Now EAR99 RFG1M09180 0.7 - 1.0 180 20 -33 40 48 RF465-2 Now Now EAR99 RFHA1042 0.2 - 0.45 125 19 -35 35 48 RF465-2 Now Now EAR99 RFHA1043 1.2 – 1.85 125 15 -35 35 48 RF465-2 Now Now EAR99 6 RFMD GaN Optimized for Linearity ® 10 325 300 275 250 Tch (C) 225 200 175 150 8 6 10 10 10 4 2 0 18 19 20 21 22 23 1/kT 24 25 26 27 28 Tch (C) 10 10 10 10 10 10 7 350 MTTF 10 10 10 350 325 300 275 250 225 200 175 150 8 6 MTTF GaN 1 • High power density - up to 8 W/mm • High peak drain efficiency • High breakdown voltage >400V GaN 2 • High linearity - 6 dB improvement over GaN 1 • Low Cgd variation vs. drain voltage • High breakdown voltage >300V Parameter GaN 1 GaN 2 Units 1000 550 mA/mm ID-MAX Gate Pinch off -3.5 -1.4 V Peak gM 225 250 mS/mm VBR(GD) >450 >350 V MIMCAP 135 135 pF/mm RTFR 100 100 Ω/□ RISO 460 800 Ω/□ 11 9 GHz FT 18 >20 GHz FMAX 10 4 2 0 18 19 20 21 22 23 1/kT 24 25 26 27 28 8 RFMD GaN-2 Unmatched Power Transistors (UPT) ® Product Description The RFHA394X series consist of 48 V high power discrete GaN amplifier designed for commercial wireless, military, industrial, and general purpose amplifier applications. Ease of integration is accomplished through simple, optimized matching networks external to the hermetic, flanged package providing linear power, wideband gain and power performance in a single amplifier. RF3932 IM3 (40W @ -30dBc) Product Features – – – – – High Power Density ~2.5W/mm 48V bias operation (works 20V to 48V) High terminal impedance – tunable wide BW Peak Drain Efficiency ~60% @ 2.1GHz Excellent linearity RFHA3944 IM3 (50W @ -40dBc) Specifications UPT Part # Freq (GHz) P3dB @ 900MHz (W) SS Gain 0.9GHz (dB) DE 0.9GHz (%) P3dB 2.1GHz (W) SS Gain 2.1GHz (dB) DE 2.1GHz (%) Vd (V) Pkg Samples Status Prod. Status Export Class RFHA3942 DC-4 35 22 65 35 15 60 48 RF360-2 Now Nov’12 EAR99 RFHA3944 DC-4 65 22 65 65 15 60 48 RF360-2 Now Nov’12 3A001b.3.a 8 RFHA1101D & RFHA3942D Die Version Available RFMD GaN Broadband PowerICs (PICs) ® Product Description GaN PowerIC devices are wideband Power Amplifier designed for CW and pulsed applications such as wireless infrastructure, RADAR, two way radios and general amplifiers. These amplifiers achieve high efficiency, flat gain and large instantaneous bandwidth in a single amplifier design. External output match offers flexibility of further optimizing power and efficiency for any sub-band w/in band. Product Features 28V & 48V Operation 10 to 80W CW Small form factor package, 50ohm Input Broadband power/gain performance ‒ ‒ ‒ ‒ Specifications PICs PN Inst BW (GHz) P3dB (W) SS Gain (dB) PAE (%) Vd (V) Idq (mA) Package Samples Prod Status Export RF3826 0.03 - 2.5 10 11 40 28 55 AlN SOIC-8 Now Now EAR99 RFHA1000 0.03 – 1.0 15 18 60 28 88 AIN SOIC-8 Now Now EAR99 RFHA1003 0.03 - 0.512 10 19 70 28 55 AlN SOIC-8 Now Now EAR99 RF3833 0.03 - 2.0 25 13 45 48 88 RF270-10 Nov ’12 Jan ’13 EAR99 RFHA1004 0.7-2.5 23 12 45 48 88 RF270-10 Nov ’12 Feb ’13 EAR99 RFHAxxxx 0.05-1 80 12.5 50 48 300 RF320-8 Jan ’13 TBD EAR99 9 Power Bandwidth Limit • High power density (V, I) enables high impedance • Low pF/W enables broadband Wideband HPA’s covering multiple communication bands Fhigh Flow 10 LDMOS LDMOS LDMOS Fo QL ln() Broadband topologies Topology Resistive FB Zo Rf Zo Vin Vgen Zo Zo Q RLC Lossy Match Zo L1 Zo Vgen C1 L2 matching Zo network Vout Advantages - lumped implementation - good S22 Zo Vout Zo Q, W Ri Cgs - Simple/lumped design - output optimized for Zopt - Input optimized for gain - All-pass network at input implies excellent S11 Disadvantages - Output not designed for Zopt - Tuning Zload affects gain flatness and S11 - Rf Pdiss / leakage issues - Lumped circuit, so flatness thermal design is critical ( ) Distributed Amp Cd reverse termination L Zo RF IN Cdiv L/2 Zo L/2 L Cin 11 RF OUT - best bandwidth and gain - dissipation spread out - Zload optimization for each cell is complicated - poor efficiency - implementation feasibility issues Design Example – Unmatched FETs 12 Lumped Element Match • Single 50W matched amplifier • Broadband design “generally” hitting target impedances. • The challenge is to create this impedance • Determine Target Impedances Z0= 10Ω 13 • Actual impedance from loadpull • Non-linear model simulation results 30W PA Module - 700-2400MHz Simulations Simulated Performance • Frequency: 700 – 2400 MHz • Gain: >10dB • Input return loss: <-12 dB • Output power: 30W • Efficiency: >25% Output Impedance S11 Match to 50Ω 14 30W PA Module - CW Performance 2.0pF 0.4pF 1.0pF 2.7pF 15 Performance • Frequency: 700 – 2400 MHz • Gain: >10dB • Input return loss: <-12 dB • Output power: 30W • Efficiency: >28% 2x RFG1M09180 Doherty Demonstrator • Performance • • • • • 865-895MHz optimized, 725-960MHz Pout = 50 dBm Efficiency > 50% Gain > 17dB ACP (DPD) < -55dBc • PCB Material • Taconic RF60 (h=0.635mm) • Circuit Area Size • 114 x 80 mm • PCB 127x127mm reference circuit 16 GaN Transistor Non-linear Simulator Models Validation/ Verification Compiled Models Combined Model Efficiency 2.0GHz Pin = 35dBm Wirebond model High Power GaN Models 1 60 46 52 56 50 Unit Cells with manifold model 50 56 48 -1 4 5 Eff Meas 17 5648 54 60 0 50 2 52 Z0(gamma_ld1_imag) 60 64 56 48 3 54 http://www.rfmd.com/products/gan/ 605 2 64 Download both ADS & AWR NonLinear Models from RFMD website: 4 6 7 8 Z0(gamma_ld1_real) Eff Sim 9 10 Data Point Package Model 11 RFMD GaN Future/Conclusions ® Next Generation Products? • Linearity Optimized • Integration where beneficial • Size/Efficiency optimized for small cell designs • Higher Frequency Designs Why GaN? • High peak efficiency – Peak efficiency ~70% – Correlation with high power density • • • • • High temperature operation Multi-band, multi-standard linear PA Wide signal bandwidth operation High efficiency PA techniques Small form factor 18 Broadband PA Linear LNA Distributed PA Questions? Thank you. 19