A 1.5kW 90V S-band GaN Transistor for Air Traffic Control Radars

The inherent opportunity to achieving kW power level for S-band Air Traffic Control (ATC) radars with GaN transistors operated at voltages higher than industry standard of 50V is discussed. To that extent, an RF GaN/SiC transistor is reported with 1.5kW output power that operates at 90V with >10W/mm power density. Power gain is 11 dB and drain efficiency 50%. The radar signal used has 100μs pulse width and 10
^%
duty cycle. The peak power here reported is believed to be 2x higher than available in the industry at S-band, and it has been possible thanks to the 90V DC bias operation.