GaN HEMTs Shoot For Less Heat

Dec. 2, 2010
Power gallium-nitride (GaN) transistor supplier Nitronex has announced its latest generation transistor technology, designed for enhanced thermal performance. The transistor platform features low thermal resistance, such as a temperature rise of a mere ...

Power gallium-nitride (GaN) transistor supplier Nitronex has announced its latest generation transistor technology, designed for enhanced thermal performance. The transistor platform features low thermal resistance, such as a temperature rise of a mere 1.4 degrees Centigrade per watt of dissipated power for the model NPT1010 transistor, a device capable of 60 W output power from 500 to 1000 MHz with 14-dB power gain at 55-percent drain efficiency. The enhanced thermal performance results in improved stability at high output-power levels in a wide range of military applications, including communications, jammers, and radar systems.

As Ray Crampton, Vice President of Engineering at Nitronex, notes: "We focused our efforts on reducing thermal rise and developed a complete plan to attack all the key factors: FET design, die thickness, die attach methods and package materials. By combining improvements from several areas, we achieved a 22-percent improvement in thermals compared to our last-generation products." The NPT1010 is RoHS compliant and compatible with lead-free solder processes. It is available in a ceramic air cavity package in bolt-down and pill versions.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.

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