International Journal of Numerical Modelling: Electronic Networks, Devices and Fields

RESEARCH ARTICLE

A High Power Density Ku-Band GaN Power Amplifier Based on Device-Level Thermal Analysis

Jiuding Zhou

orcid.org/0000-0003-1740-7790

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Chupeng Yi,

Chupeng Yi

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Wenliang Liu,

Wenliang Liu

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Yang Lu,

Corresponding Author

Yang Lu

[email protected]

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

Correspondence:

Yang Lu ([email protected])

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Xiaohua Ma,

Xiaohua Ma

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Yuanfu Zhao,

Yuanfu Zhao

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

Beijing Microelectronics Technology Institute, Beijing, China

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Yue Hao,

Yue Hao

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Jiuding Zhou,

Jiuding Zhou

orcid.org/0000-0003-1740-7790

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Chupeng Yi,

Chupeng Yi

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Wenliang Liu,

Wenliang Liu

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Yang Lu,

Corresponding Author

Yang Lu

[email protected]

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

Correspondence:

Yang Lu ([email protected])

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Xiaohua Ma,

Xiaohua Ma

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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Yuanfu Zhao,

Yuanfu Zhao

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

Beijing Microelectronics Technology Institute, Beijing, China

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Yue Hao,

Yue Hao

Key Laboratory of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductor Materials and Devices, School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

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First published: 14 November 2024

https://doi.org/10.1002/jnm.3311

Citations: 1

Funding: This work was supported in part by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under grant XJSJ23052, in part by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under grants 2024M752523, BX20230280.

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ABSTRACT

This paper introduces a new design method for a high-power density GaN MMIC amplifier operating in the Ku-band. A thermal model to investigate the thermal distribution of power amplifiers is proposed to achieve optimal performance in terms of power density, chip size, and channel temperature. The thermal distribution and channel temperature of a single device, an eight-way parallel device combination, and the entire PA layout are obtained by finite element simulation. The thermal coupling effects of high-power MMICs are analyzed in detail. The thermal resistances are extracted from the simulation to design a Ku-band amplifier. Measurement results demonstrate that the designed amplifier achieves 43.0–44.2 dBm output power and 22.7%–34.5% PAE at 28 V drain voltage with a 100 μs pulse width and 10% duty cycle within 12–18 GHz. The proposed design method enables the amplifier to have a compact layout of 10.88 mm² and a power density between 1.84 and 2.42 W/mm. This design method can offer valuable insights for future development of high-power MMIC amplifiers.

Open Research

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

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November/December 2024

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A High Power Density Ku-Band GaN Power Amplifier Based on Device-Level Thermal Analysis

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Open Research

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A High Power Density Ku-Band GaN Power Amplifier Based on Device-Level Thermal Analysis

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Open Research

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