Abstract
A method for balancing thermal and electrical packaging requirements for gallium nitride (GaN) high power amplifier (HPA) modules is presented. The goal is to find a design approach that minimizes the junction temperature of the GaN so that it is reliable and has interconnects that meet electrical performance requirements. One benefit of GaN is that it can simultaneously achieve high power density and operate at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. However, the power density can be so high that the necessary thermal solutions can have negative impact on electrical performance. This is especially a concern for the electrical interconnects required for the input/ output ports on high power amplifier devices. This is because the signal interconnects must operate at GHz frequencies, which means that special care must be taken to avoid problems such as undesired signal coupling and ground path inductance. Therefore, this work focuses on GaN packaging and its integration into a module. The results show that an optimum thickness for the GaN heat spreader exits for thermal performance but the electrical design is impacted negatively if the optimum thermal design is chosen. Therefore, a balanced design is chosen which meets overall system level requirements.
Highlights
High power amplifiers (HPAs) are an important part of systems and are widely used
The results show that an optimum thickness for the gallium nitride (GaN) heat spreader exits for thermal performance but the electrical design is impacted negatively if the optimum thermal design is chosen
The heat density generated in the field effect transistor (FET) junctions of gallium nitride (GaN) amplifiers can be as high as 3200 W/cm2, which more than two orders of magnitude higher heat density than the average clothing iron turned to its highest temperature
Summary
High power amplifiers (HPAs) are an important part of systems and are widely used. For instance, they are used in weather satellites, radar systems for air traffic. The heat density generated in the FET junctions of gallium nitride (GaN) amplifiers can be as high as 3200 W/cm, which more than two orders of magnitude higher heat density than the average clothing iron turned to its highest temperature Managing this thermal load requires heat spreaders that are often large compared to the wavelength of operation. Prior work has shown the benefits of GaN amplifiers to achieve high RF output power and some thermal management methods. A more conventional approach to thermal management was taken in [5] which mounted the GaN amplifiers on copper tungsten (CuW) heat spreaders in a hybrid module for satellite communication systems This prior work demonstrates the importance of the electrical packaging and thermal design of GaN amplifiers.
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