Cree’s GaN Technology Serves LTE Base Stations

The gallium nitride (GaN) power-transistor technology developed by Cree, Inc. has helped RFHIC Corp. supply amplifiers for fourth-generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular-communications base stations and other wireless communications systems that meet some demanding efficiency and linearity requirements. Cree licensed RFHIC Corp. about a year-and-a-half ago to provide that amplifier supplier with ready access to Cree’s pioneering Doherty amplifier-related patents. At the time, Cree’s Director of RF, Jim Milligan, noted that “From our early work in maximizing the efficiency of silicon LDMOS amplifiers to our current initiatives using GaN-based devices, Cree has successfully developed innovative circuits that enhance the performance of the classic Doherty architecture.” As much as 15% improvement in efficiency was gained with GaN in these amplifiers than compared to a conventional Doherty amplifier implemented with silicon LDMOS devices.