A comparison of GaN, Si and GaAs power amplifiers

Power amplifiers (PAs) are used in the wide range of electronics such as RADAR, base stations, jammers and cable TV applications. These amplifiers can achieve design specifications like high efficiency and high output power (>20 W) as much as the capability of the transistor. For this reason; Si LDMOSFETs, GaN HEMTs and GaAs HFETs are advancing their place in the market. In this article; GaN, Si, and GaAs power transistor technologies will be compared and an assessment will be made about which one is leading the market by 2014.

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