The Quest for a Rugged Transistor
High-power transistors undergo a great deal of abuse, even when designed into well-conceived circuits. In a communications system, for example, a damaged antenna feeder can result in severe impedance mismatch conditions presented to the load of a device. At high-power levels, a mismatch can result in currents and voltages exceeding device ratings. Higher transistor operating temperatures and stresses due to mismatch can lead to problems with reliability and shorten device operating lifetimes. While there is no simple way to avoid load mismatch, the associated stress and generation of heat, the effects can be minimized by specifying transistors that are designed to be rugged and have superior thermal properties.
One such transistor is the model MRFE6VP61K25H, the highest power device in a complete line of enhanced ruggedness silicon laterally diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) transistors from Freescale Semiconductor (www.freescale.com).