Cree Inc. reports it has surpassed a significant milestone in shipping over two million GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMT) for cellular telecommunications and is providing game-changing benefits over traditional silicon-based technologies, including higher power, higher efficiency and wider bandwidth. As mobile devices such as smartphones are becoming more widespread, telecommunications companies are looking for innovative technologies to improve channel capacity and speed of wireless systems, while simultaneously lowering power consumption of transmission amplifiers. The use of GaN HEMT in transmitter amplifiers is gaining attention in the cellular telecommunications industry due to the ability to decrease power consumption and size, and increase bandwidth capabilities.
The world’s mobile networks are reported to consume about 120TWh of electricity per year (for an average cost of US$14.4 billion), and 50 percent of the networks power is consumed by power amplifiers and associated components. Consequently, improved power amplifier efficiency can result in considerable energy savings.
“Wireless telecommunication leaders are leveraging the performance advantages of Cree’s GaN HEMTs,” said Tom Dekker, director sales and marketing, Cree RF Business Unit. “We are very pleased we achieved our two millionth GaN HEMT cellular telecom shipment milestone. GaN HEMT prices have greatly improved and are now a viable alternative to Si LDMOS transistors for cellular telecom amplifiers. We target continued growth of our telecommunication volumes.”
The next-generation performance enabled by Cree GaN HEMT are required to support today’s 4G LTE cellular networks, as well as to help drive LTE release 10 and advanced LTE networks currently being developed. The superior efficiency and bandwidth advantages of GaN HEMTs help LTE cellular network transmitters achieve smaller size, lower weight and improved thermal management compared with incumbent technologies. GaN HEMT power amplifiers allow for data channel bandwidths over 100MHz and wide instantaneous RF bandwidths, helping operators aggregate multiple, non-adjacent frequencies to maximize the benefits of their licensed spectrum. Another significant advantage is improved transmitter efficiency, which offers tremendous energy savings for operating budgets.
Please visit www.cree.com/rf for more information about the new Cree GaN HEMT devices. Visitors to the IEEE International Symposium (IMS 2013), June 2-7, can learn more about the revolutionary technology by visiting Cree booth 2321.
