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Optimum Technology Matching® Applied
GaAs HBT
InGaP HBT
GaAs MESFET
SiGe BiCMOS
Si BiCMOS
SiGe HBT
GaAs pHEMT
Si CMOS
Si BJT
GaN HEMT
Functional Block Diagram
RF MICRO DEVICES®, RFMD®, Optimum Technology Matching®, Enabling Wireless Connectivity™, PowerStar®, POLARIS™ TOTAL RADIO™ and UltimateBlue™ are trademarks of RFMD, LLC. BLUETOOTH is a trade-
mark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RFMD. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2012, RF Micro Devices, Inc.
Product Description
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Ordering Information
BiFET HBT
RF IN
VGQ
Pin 1 (CUT)
RF OUT
VDQ
Pin 2
GND
BASE
RFHA1023
225W GaN WIDE-BAND PULSED
POWER AMPLIFIER
The RFHA1023 is a 36V 225W high power discrete amplifier designed for L-Band
pulsed radar, air traffic control and surveillance and general purpose broadband
amplifier applications. Using an advanced high power density gallium nitride (GaN)
semiconductor process, these high performance amplifiers achieve high output
power, high efficiency and flat gain over a broad frequency range in a single pack-
age. The RFHA1023 is a matched power transistor packaged in a hermetic, flanged
ceramic package. The package provides excellent thermal stability through the use
of advanced heat sink and power dissipation technologies. Ease of integration is
accomplished through the incorporation of single, optimized matching networks
that provide wideband gain and power performance in a single amplifier.
Features
Wideband Operation: 1.2GHz
to 1.4GHz
Advanced GaN HEMT
Technology
Advanced Heat Sink
Technology
Supports Multiple Pulse
Conditions
10% to 20% Duty Cycle
100s to 1ms Pulse Width
Integrated Matching
Components for High
Terminal Impedances
36V Operation Typical
Performance:
Output Pulsed Power: 225W
Pulse Width: 1ms, Duty Cycle
10%
Small Signal Gain: 15dB
High Efficiency (55%)
- 40°C to 85°C Operating
Temperature
Applications
Radar
Air Traffic Control and
Surveillance
General Purpose Broadband
Amplifiers RFHA1023S2 2-Piece sample bag
RFHA1023SB 5-Piece bag
RFHA1023SQ 25-Piece bag
RFHA1023SR 50 Pieces on 7” short reel
RFHA1023TR13 250 Pieces on 13” reel
RFHA1023PCBA-410 Fully assembled evaluation board 1.2GHz to 1.4GHz; 36V
operation
DS120508
Package: Flanged Ceramic, 2-Pin
2 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Parameter Rating Unit
Drain Voltage (VD)150V
Gate Voltage (VG) -8 to +2 V
Gate Current (IG)155mA
Operational Voltage 40 V
Ruggedness (VSWR) 10:1
Storage Temperature Range -55 to +125 °C
Operating Temperature Range (TC)-40 to +85 °C
Operating Junction Temperature (TJ)250 °C
Human Body Model Class 1A
MTTF (TJ < 200°C)
MTTF (TJ < 250°C)
3.0E + 06
1.4E + 05
Hours
Thermal Resistance, RTH (junction
to case):
TC = 85°C, DC bias only 0.90 °C/W
TC = 85°C, 100s pulse, 10% duty
cycle
0.18
TC = 85°C, 1ms pulse, 10% duty
cycle
0.34
* MTTF - median time to failure for wear-out failure mode (30% IDSS degradation) which is determined by the technology process reliability.
Refer to product qualification report for FIT(random) failure rate.
Operation of this device beyond any one of these limits may cause permanent damage. For reliable continuous operation, the device voltage
and current must not exceed the maximum operating values.
Bias Conditions should also satisfy the following expression: PDISS < (TJ - TC)/RTH J-C and TC = TCASE
Parameter Specification Unit Condition
Min. Typ. Max.
Recommended Operating Conditions
Drain Voltage (VDSQ)36V
Gate Voltage (VGSQ)-8-3-2V
Drain Bias Current 440 mA
Frequency of Operation 1200 1400 MHz
DC Functional Test
IG (OFF) – Gate Leakage 2 mA VG = -8V, VD = 0V
ID (OFF) – Drain Leakage 2 mA VG = -8V, VD = 50V
VGS (TH) – Threshold Voltage -3.4 V VD = 36V, ID = 20mA
VDS (ON) – Drain Voltage at High
Current
0.22 V VG = 0V, ID = 1.5A
RF Functional Test [1], [2]
Small Signal Gain 14 dB f = 1200MHz, PIN = 30dBm
Power Gain 11.8 dB f = 1200MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
Input Return Loss -6 dB f = 1200MHz, PIN = 30dBm
Output Power 53 53.25 dBm f = 1200MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
Drain Efficiency 48 50 % f = 1200MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
Caution! ESD sensitive device.
Exceeding any one or a combination of the Absolute Maximum Rating conditions may
cause permanent damage to the device. Extended application of Absolute Maximum
Rating conditions to the device may reduce device reliability. Specified typical perfor-
mance or functional operation of the device under Absolute Maximum Rating condi-
tions is not implied.
The information in this publication is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no
responsibility is assumed by RF Micro Devices, Inc. ("RFMD") for its use, nor for any
infringement of patents, or other rights of third parties, resulting from its use. No
license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of
RFMD. RFMD reserves the right to change component circuitry, recommended appli-
cation circuitry and specifications at any time without prior notice.
RFMD Green: RoHS compliant per EU Directive 2002/95/EC, halogen free
per IEC 61249-2-21, < 1000ppm each of antimony trioxide in polymeric
materials and red phosphorus as a flame retardant, and <2% antimony in
solder.
3 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Parameter Specification Unit Condition
Min. Typ. Max.
RF Functional Test
(continued)
[1], [2]
Small Signal Gain 15 dB f = 1300MHz, PIN = 30dBm
Power Gain 12.3 dB f = 1300MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
Input Return Loss -6 dB f = 1300MHz, PIN = 30dBm
Output Power 53 53.5 dBm f = 1300MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
Drain Efficiency 50 58 % f = 1300MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
Small Signal Gain 14 dB f = 1400MHz, PIN = 30dBm
Power Gain 11.8 dB f = 1400MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
Input Return Loss -6 dB f = 1400MHz, PIN = 30dBm
Output Power 53 53.25 dBm f = 1400MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
Drain Efficiency 55 63 % f = 1400MHz, PIN = 41.2dBm
RF Typical Performance [1], [2]
Frequency Range 1200 1400 MHz
Small Signal Gain 15 dB f = 1300MHz, PIN = 30dBm
Power Gain 12.3 dB f = 1300MHz, POUT = 53.5dBm
Gain Variation with Temperature -0.015 dB/°C At peak output power
Output Power (PSAT) 53.52 dBm Peak output power
225 W Peak output power
Drain Efficiency 58 % At peak output power
[1] Test Conditions: PW = 1ms, DC = 10%, VDSQ = 36V, IDQ = 440mA, T = 25°C.
[2] Performance in a standard tuned test fixture.
4 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Typical Performance in Standard Fixed Tune Test Fixture
(T = 25°C, unless otherwise noted)
12
12.5
13
13.5
14
14.5
15
15.5
16
16.5
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
Gain (dB)
Output Power (dBm)
Gain vs. Output Power (f = 1300MHz)
(Pulsed 10% duty cycle, 1mS, Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
Gain 85C
Gain 25C
Gain -40C
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
Drain Efficiency (%)
Output Power (dBm)
Efficiency vs. Output Power (f = 1300MHz)
(Pulsed 10% duty cycle, 1mS, Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
Eff 85C
Eff 25C
Eff -40C
-19
-17
-15
-13
-11
-9
-7
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55
IRL, Input Return Loss (dB)
Output Power (dBm)
Input Return Loss vs. Output Power (f = 1300MHz)
(Pulsed 10% duty cycle, 1mS, Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
IRL 85C
IRL 25C
IRL -40C
-25
-23
-21
-19
-17
-15
-13
-11
-9
-7
-5
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
1200 1220 1240 1260 1280 1300 1320 1340 1360 1380 1400
Input Return Loss (dB)
Gain (dB)
Frequency (MHz)
Small Signal Performance vs. Frequency, Pout = 44dBm
(Pulsed 10% duty cycle,1mS,Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
Gain
IRL
Fixed tuned test circuit
-21
-20
-19
-18
-17
-16
-15
-14
-13
-12
-11
-10
-9
-8
-7
11
11.5
12
12.5
13
13.5
14
14.5
1200 1220 1240 1260 1280 1300 1320 1340 1360 1380 1400
Input Return Loss (dB)
Gain (dB)
Frequency (MHz)
Gain/IRL vs. Frequency, Pout = 53.5dBm
(Pulsed 10% duty cylce, 1mS, Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
Gain IRL
Fixed tuned test circuit
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
1200 1220 1240 1260 1280 1300 1320 1340 1360 1380 1400
Drain Efficiency (%)
Frequency (MHz)
Drain Efficiency vs. Frequency, Pout = 53.5dBm
(Pulsed 10% duty cycle, 1mS, Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
Eff
Fixed tuned test circuit
5 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Drain Efficiency (%)
Gain (dB)
Pout, Output Power (dBm)
Gain/ Efficiency vs. Pout, f = 1300MHz
(Pulsed 10% duty cycle, 1mS, Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
Gain
Drain Eff
45
47.5
50
52.5
55
57.5
60
62.5
65
200
225
250
275
300
000100101
Drain Efficiency(%)
Pout (W)
Pulse Width (usec)
Pout/DE vs. Pulse Width, f = 1300MHz
(Pulsed 10% duty cycle, Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
Pout
Drain Efficiency
45
47.5
50
52.5
55
57.5
60
62.5
65
200
225
250
275
300
10 30 50 70
Drain Efficiency(%)
Pout (W)
Duty Cycle (%)
Pout/DE vs. Duty Cycle, f = 1300MHz
(Pulsed ,1ms pulse, Vd = 36V, Idq = 440mA)
Pout Eff
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
PowerDissipation(W)
MaximumCaseTemperature(°C)
PulsePowerDissipationDeratingCurve
(BasedonMaximumpackagetemperatureandRth)
1mPulse Width,10%DutyCycle
100PulseWidth,10 %DutyCycle
6 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Package Drawing
Pin Names and Descriptions
Pin Name Description
1VG
Gate – VG RF Input
2VD
Drain – VD RF Output
3GND
Source – Ground Base
7 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Bias Instruction for RFHA1023 Evaluation Board
ESD Sensitive Material. Please use proper ESD precautions when handling devices of evaluation board.
Evaluation board requires additional external fan cooling.
Connect all supplies before powering up the evaluation board.
1. Connect RF cables at RFIN and RFOUT.
2. Connect ground to the ground supply terminal, and ensure that both the VG and VD grounds are also connected to this
ground supply terminal.
3. Apply -8V to VG.
4. Apply 36V to VD.
5. Increase VG until drain current reaches 440mA or desired bias point.
6. Turn on the RF input.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Depletion mode device; when biasing the device, VG must be applied before VD. When removing bias, VD
must be removed before VG is removed. Failure to follow this sequence will cause the device to fail.
NOTE: For optimal RF performance, consistent and optimal heat removal from the base of the package is required. A thin layer
of thermal grease should be applied to the interface between the base of the package and the equipment chassis. It is recom-
mended that a small amount of thermal grease is applied to the underside of the device package. Even application and
removal of excess thermal grease can be achieved by spreading the thermal grease using a razor blade. The package should
then be bolted to the chassis and input and output leads soldered to the circuit board
8 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Evaluation Board Schematic
Evaluation Board Bill of Materials
Component Value Manufacturer Part Number
R1, R4 10Panasonic ERJ-8GEYJ100V
R2 0Panasonic ERJ-8GEY0R00
R3 51Panasonic ERJ-8GEYJ510
C1, C2, C11, C12 150pF Dielectric Labs C11CF151J-9ZN-X0V
C17 56pF ATC ATC800A560JT
C5 0.1F Panasonic ECJ-2VB1H104K
C6, C15 10000pF Panasonic ECJ-2VB1H103K
C16 0.1F Panasonic ECJ-2VB1H104K
C8, C18 10F Panasonic ECA-2AM100
C20 3.3pF ATC ATC100B3R3BT
C21 1.5pF ATC ATC100B1R5BT
C22 0.3pF ATC ATC100B0R3BT
L1, L2 68nH Coilcraft 1812SMS-68NJLB
L20, L21 115, 10A Steward 28F0181-1SR-10
L22, L23 75, 10A Steward 35F0121-1SR-10
C3, C4, C7, C13, C14, C19 NOT POPULATED
9 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Evaluation Board Layout
Device Impedances
Note: Device impedances reported are the measured evaluation board impedances chosen for a tradeoff of efficiency, peak
power, and linear performance across the entire frequency bandwidth.
Frequency Z Source ()Z Load (
1200MHz 12.98 - j8.23 25.48 - j12.4
1300MHz 11.75 - j7.16 24.6 - j12.9
1400MHz 10.41 - j5.98 23.4 - j13.4
10 of 10
RFHA1023
DS120508
7628 Thorndike Road, Greensboro, NC 27409-9421 · For sales or technical
support, contact RFMD at (+1) 336-678-5570 or customerservice@rfmd.com.
Device Handling/Environmental Conditions
GaN HEMT devices are ESD sensitive materials. Please use proper ESD precautions when handling devices or
evaluation boards.
GaN HEMT Capacitances
The physical structure of the GaN HEMT results in three terminal capacitors similar to other FET technologies.
These capacitances exist across all three terminals of the device. The physical manufactured characteristics of
the device determine the value of the CDS (drain to source), CGS (gate to source) and CGD (gate to drain). These
capacitances change value as the terminal voltages are varied. RFMD presents the three terminal capacitances
measured with the gate pinched off (VGS = -8V) and zero volts applied to the drain. During the measurement pro-
cess, the parasitic capacitances of the package that holds the amplifier is removed through a calibration step.
Any internal matching is included in the terminal capacitance measurements. The capacitance values pre-
sented in the typical characteristics table of the device represent the measured input (CISS), output (COSS), and
reverse (CRSS) capacitance at the stated bias voltages. The relationship to three terminal capacitances is as fol-
lows:
CISS = CGD + CGS
COSS = CGD + CDS
CRSS = CGD
DC Bias
The GaN HEMT device is a depletion mode high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). At zero volts VGS the drain of
the device is saturated and uncontrolled drain current will destroy the transistor. The gate voltage must be taken
to a potential lower than the source voltage to pinch off the device prior to applying the drain voltage, taking care
not to exceed the gate voltage maximum limits. RFMD recommends applying VGS = -5V before applying any VDS.
RF Power transistor performance capabilities are determined by the applied quiescent drain current. This drain
current can be adjusted to trade off power, linearity, and efficiency characteristics of the device. The recom-
mended quiescent drain current (IDQ) shown in the RF typical performance table is chosen to best represent the
operational characteristics for this device, considering manufacturing variations and expected performance.
The user may choose alternate conditions for biasing this device based on performance tradeoffs.
Mounting and Thermal Considerations
The thermal resistance provided as RTH (junction to case) represents only the packaged device thermal charac-
teristics. This is measured using IR microscopy capturing the device under test temperature at the hottest spot
of the die. At the same time, the package temperature is measured using a thermocouple touching the backside
of the die embedded in the device heatsink but sized to prevent the measurement system from impacting the
results. Knowing the dissipated power at the time of the measurement, the thermal resistance is calculated.
In order to achieve the advertised MTTF, proper heat removal must be considered to maintain the junction at or
below the maximum of 200°C. Proper thermal design includes consideration of ambient temperature and the
thermal resistance from ambient to the back of the package including heatsinking systems and air flow mecha-
nisms. Incorporating the dissipated DC power, it is possible to calculate the junction temperature of the device.