A review of SiC static induction transistor development for high-frequency power amplifiers

Abstract An overview of silicon carbide (SiC) static induction transistor (SIT) development is presented. Basic conduction mechanisms are introduced and discussed, including ohmic, exponential, and space charge limited conduction (SCLC) mechanisms. Additionally, the impact of velocity saturation and temperature effects on SCLC are reviewed. The small signal model, breakdown voltage, power density, and different gate structures are also discussed, before a final review of published SiC SIT results. Published S-band (3–4 GHz) results include 9.5 dB of gain and output power of 120 W, and L-band (1.3 GHz) results include 400 W output power, 7.7 dB of gain, and power density of 16.7 W/cm.

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