As high data rate applications put more strain on LTE wireless networks, innovative solutions such as small cell base stations (BTS) and carrier aggregation will be needed to bridge the bandwidth gap in high traffic areas. In response to broader bandwidth demand, Cree, Inc. introduces a family of GaN HEMT RF transistors that delivers industry-leading bandwidth and high efficiency performance to support today’s busy LTE networks. Built on plastic dual-flat no-leads (DFN) surface mount packages, the new Cree® GaN HEMT RF transistors also provide the affordability needed to replace less efficient Si or GaAs transistors in these applications.

GaN HEMT RF transistors

“The trend of ever-increasing amounts of data-rich applications will drive the need for small cell deployment to improve wireless network performance,” said Tom Dekker, director of sales and marketing, RF Business Unit, Cree, Inc. “Our industry-leading GaN technology will provide the desired bandwidth, flexibility, efficiency and affordability our small cell customers demand.”

The new GaN HEMT DFN product family includes 28V and 50V, 15W and 30W unmatched transistors. The frequency-agile transistors are capable of operating at a range between 700 MHz to 3.8 GHz instantaneous, and may be optimized for band splits. Multi-band capability creates design flexibility that helps small cell OEMs speed their time to market and allows operators to reconfigure the same small cell unit for different market requirements. 

In high efficiency applications, Cree GaN HEMT RF transistors help reduce the size and weight of LTE cellular network transmitters and simplify thermal management. These efficiency gains generate significant energy savings in operational costs. Cree developed Doherty reference design CDPA27045 utilizing 15W and 30W HEMT DFN transistors to demonstrate the technology’s superior efficiency. The design delivers approximately 50 percent drain efficiency at 10W average power under a LTE 7.5dB peak-to-average ratio signal, and covers 2.5-2.7 GHz instantaneous RF bandwidth while offering 16dB of linear gain.

The new family of GaN HEMT DFN RF transistors is based on Cree’s qualified 50V, 0.4µm gate length process. Samples and reference designs are available for the CGH27030S (30W, 28V, 0.4µm), CGHV27015S (15W, 50V, 0.4µm) and CGHV27030S (30W, 50V, 0.4µm) GaN HEMT transistors.