In recent years, semiconductor devices for air traffic control and meteorological applications have gone to higher transmit powers, and solid-state radars have been replacing conventional magnetron radars. Long service life is one of the advantages of solid-state devices. While magnetrons need to be replaced periodically, semiconductors do not require replacement and thus help reduce radar maintenance costs. Large frequency fluctuations make it difficult to see small objects with magnetron radars. In contrast, due to their high frequency stability, solid-state radars improve observation performance by detecting objects that were difficult to spot in the past.

Figure 1 PTLS cables.

In a solid-state amplifier-based radar, achieving a detection range equivalent to that of the magnetron-based radar requires several semiconductor devices. To minimize the number of solid-state devices needed to meet the requirements, the output power of each device must be increased. Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations (SEDI) has developed a family of GaN HEMTs for radar applications that operate in frequency ranges from L- to X-Band. SEDI’s new S-Band GaN HEMT, the ES/SGN2731-800L-R, offers 1000 W (typical) output power, the highest in the industry. It has 60 percent (typical) efficiency with input and output prematched over the 2.7 to 3.1 GHz frequency band. The device is housed in SEDI’s M2C small flangeless package. Figure 1 shows the output power and drain efficiency for the 1000 W, S-Band ES/SGN2731-800L-R GaN HEMT. These characteristics were obtained by running the device at a drain voltage of 50 V with a 200 μsec pulse width and a 2 msec pulse period.

Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations USA Inc.
San Jose, Calif.
(408) 232-9500
www.sei-device.com
efavreau@sei-device.com