GaN Gaining Favor Among Military Users

Sept. 9, 2009
Designers of solid-state military radar systems have long been faced with a limited choice of transistors capable of providing adequate output power at high frequencies. But a list that once included only silicon bipolars and GaAs MESFETs has expanded in ...

Designers of solid-state military radar systems have long been faced with a limited choice of transistors capable of providing adequate output power at high frequencies. But a list that once included only silicon bipolars and GaAs MESFETs has expanded in recent years to include silicon LDMOS and silicon carbide (SiC) transistors, with gallium nitride quickly gaining ground in high-power pulsed radar applications. In fact, according to a recent study by market research specialist ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com), GaN devices are quickly gaining traction among military electronics users.

As ABI Research Director Lance Wilson notes: "GaN has markedly increased its market share in 2009 and is forecast to be a significant force by 2014. It bridges the gap between two older technologies, exhibiting the high-frequency performance of gallium arsenide combined with the power-handling capabilities of silicon LDMOS." According to the firm's research, the greatest demand for power RF semiconductors comes from military markets, with the total market size expected to exceed $1 billion in 2009.

Sponsored Recommendations

What is a Vector Network Analyzer?

Feb. 19, 2024
For engineers that are outside of the RF and Microwave industry and work in industries like the healthcare and medical fields, food and beverage, agriculture, and beyond, a vector...

Time Domain Gating Measurements with a VNA Webinar

Feb. 19, 2024
Time domain gating is a very useful tool in vector network analysis. If a measurement can be made over sufficient bandwidth, there will be ample resolution in the time domain ...

Webinar: Introduction to OTA Measurement for mmWave and Sub-THz

Feb. 19, 2024
Join Jeanmarc Laurent, a leading expert from MilliBox, for an exclusive live webinar showcasing a complete Over-the-Air (OTA) testing system setup. In this immersive session, ...

Using a CMT VNA with Socket Server

Feb. 19, 2024
This application note describes use of a software application CMT Socket Server which is distributed and supported by Aphena Ltd. Please email [email protected] regarding purchase...