Volume 67, Issue 6 e70259
RESEARCH ARTICLE

GaN-on-SiC Broadband Driver Amplifier for C- and X-Band Applications

Abdullah Hannan

Corresponding Author

Abdullah Hannan

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Correspondence: Abdullah Hannan ([email protected])

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Erdem Aras

Erdem Aras

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

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Armagan Gurdal

Armagan Gurdal

Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

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Emirhan Urfali

Emirhan Urfali

Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

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Salahuddin Zafar

Salahuddin Zafar

Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

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Muhammad Imran Nawaz

Muhammad Imran Nawaz

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

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Ekmel Ozbay

Ekmel Ozbay

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Department of Physics, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

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First published: 12 June 2025

ABSTRACT

A GaN-on-SiC-based broadband driver amplifier operating in the C- and X-bands from 5 to 12 GHz has been demonstrated. The MMIC has a typical small signal gain of 29.7 dB with a ±1.4 dB gain ripple. The input and output return losses are better than 10.5 and 8.8 dB, respectively. The average P s a t ${}_{s}{}_{a}{}_{t}$ is approximately 2.65 W with an OIP3 of 37.7 dBm, while the large signal gain is 22 dB. This design is distinguished by its low output power ripple and the low large signal gain fluctuations observed across the full frequency range of interest. Consistent load impedance matching at the output stage for the whole frequency range enabled an output power ripple less than ±1.1 dB and a large signal gain ripple less than ±0.6 dB at 10 dBm input power. This allowed for an output power density of at least 2.68 W/mm across the broad frequency range of 5–12 GHz. The typical power-added efficiency is 26.4%. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this DA design exhibits the best combination of gain, output power density, gain ripple, output power ripple and output return loss in this frequency band.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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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