Toshiba today announced that it has developed a gallium nitride (GaN) power field effect transistor (FET) for the Ku-band (12GHz to 18GHz) frequency range that achieves an output power of 65.4W at 14.5GHz, the highest level of performance yet reported at this frequency band. The main application of the new transistor will be in base stations for satellite microwave communications, which carry high-capacity signals, including high-definition broadcasts. The new power FET has a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structure that Toshiba has optimized for the Ku-band. Toshiba replaced source wire bonding with via hole technology to reduce parasitic inductance, and also improved overall design of the matching circuit for practical application at Ku-band frequencies.
Full details of the new Toshiba GaN power FET will be presented at the European Microwave Conference 2007, in Munich, Germany from October 8 to 12. Toshiba plans to start sample shipment of the new power FET by the end of 2007 and to go into mass production by the end of March 2008.
