Abstract
The first realizations of S-band hybrid amplifiers based on hydrogenated-diamond (H-diamond) FETs are reported. As test vehicles of the adopted H-diamond technology at microwave frequencies, two designs are proposed: one, oriented to low-noise amplification, the other, oriented to high-power operation. The two amplifying stages are so devised as to be cascaded into a two-stage amplifier. The activities performed, from the technological steps to characterization, modelling, design and realization are illustrated. Measured performance demonstrates, for the low-noise stage, a noise figure between 7 and 8 dB in the 2–2.5 GHz bandwidth, associated with a transducer gain between 5 and 8 dB. The OIP3 at 2 GHz is 21 dBm. As to the power-oriented stage, its transducer gain is 5–6 dB in the 2–2.5 GHz bandwidth. The 1-dB output compression point at 2 GHz is 20 dBm whereas the OIP3 is 33 dBm. Cascading the measured S-parameters of the two stages yields a transducer gain of 15 ± 1.2 dB in the 2–3 GHz bandwidth.
Highlights
The first realizations of S-band hybrid amplifiers based on hydrogenated-diamond (H-diamond) FETs are reported
Within the frame of space-oriented technologies, a growing need is being experienced for amplifiers capable of handling large power densities at high frequencies, exploiting wide-bandgap s emiconductors[1,2]
Diamond transistors can be expected to deliver RF power in excess of 200 W at a few GHz, after its technology readiness level (TRL) has reached an acceptable position, surpassing the performance achieved by commercially available GaN transistors[10,11]
Summary
The first realizations of S-band hybrid amplifiers based on hydrogenated-diamond (H-diamond) FETs are reported. Diamond features nearly double maximum electric field and more than ten times the thermal conductivity of GaN, which is the foremost semiconductor for stateof-the-art high-power applications at microwave frequencies 6. In these terms, diamond decidedly outperforms all other materials currently used to fabricate electronic devices (Si, GaAs and GaN) and is deemed, as a consequence, to be the likeliest successor of GaN in high-frequency applications requiring large power densities and survivability to significant fluxes of ionizing radiation 9. The main objective is the first demonstration of microwave hybrid amplifiers based on diamond transistors
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