Macom launches plastic packaged chip for RF Energy applications
Analogue RF and microwave company Macom has announced a plastic-packaged 300W GaN-on-silicon rugged power transistor for use in commercial scale solid-state RF energy applications.
Based on Macom's Gen4 GaN technology, the new MAGe-102425-300 is said to deliver performance that defies the inherent power efficiency and density limitations of LDMOS at an equivalent price profile at scaled volume production levels.
The combination of GaN performance and silicon cost structures offers an opportunity to use solid-state RF energy as an efficient and precise heat and power source for many commercial applications including microwave ovens, automotive ignition, lighting systems and industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) applications including RF plasma lighting, material drying, blood and tissue heating and ablation, and beyond.
Providing 300W output power and 70 percent efficiency at 2.45 GHz, the MAGe-102425-300 meets the core technical requirements for next generation power amplifiers proposed by the RF Energy Alliance, a non-profit technical association dedicated to unlocking the potential of RF energy. Meanwhile the cost structure and volume supply chain benefits achieved with Macom's Gen4 GaN technology position the MAGe-102425-300 to meet aggressive cost targets on a par with LDMOS, according to the company.
"Solid-state RF energy technology holds the promise to transform entire market segments, providing wide-ranging benefits from consumer goods to ISM systems and infrastructure," said Mark Murphy, senior director of marketing, Macom. "The MAGe-102425-300 sets a new price and performance benchmark for RF power devices, affirms Macom's GaN technology and application expertise, and signals a clear inflection point in the evolution toward mainstream RF energy adoption."
"The RF Energy Alliance recently published the RF Power Amplifier (PA) Roadmap, which sets parameters for future PA module generations that are viable alternatives to magnetron-based solutions," said Klaus Werner, executive director of the RF Energy Alliance. "The MAGe-102425-300's breakthrough in efficiency is in step with our PA Roadmap, enabling new markets for residential solid-state RF energy applications."
Macom will be featuring the MAGe-102425-300 at the International Microwave Symposium 2016 (IMS), May 22nd-27th in San Francisco, California.
