Pulsed characterisation of GaN HEMTs on Si (1 1 1) substrate

The DC and RF power characteristics of GaN HEMTs under continuous wave (CW) and pulsed load-pull measurement are examined, in this article. The results give a comprehensive understanding of self-heating effects and allow improved heat dissipation, by pulsed measurement. The measured output power increases under the pulse load-pull measurement, due to the isothermal environment. The RF power performance for pulsed mode was measured at 3.5 GHz, with 18.4 dB power gain and a large 3.5 W/mm power output, under pulse load-pull, which is a 3.25 dB improvement, compared to CW operation. The relationship of output power and impedance is determined by load-pull measurement.

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