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A 10kWatt 36GHz Solid-State Power Amplifier using GaN-on-Diamond
Completed
TRL 8 (started at 7, targeting 8)
Description
This Phase-II SBIR proposal proposes for the first time ever, the use of a new class of materials - Gallium Nitride-on-diamond - in the manufacture of very high power, high-temperature, Ka-band solid-state MMICs. In this particular Phase-II, the first ever 34-38GHz GaN-on-Diamond FETs will be demonstrated, exhibiting a record 5-10 W/mm at record efficiency and temperature levels. Arrays of these FETs will be used to form (power combined) 10KWatt Power Amplifiers (PA) MMICs. Polycrystalline free standing CVD diamond nature's most efficient thermal conductor enables nearly perfect heat extraction from a "hot" device (Thermal conductivities of GaAs, Si, and SiC are 35W/m/K, 150W/m/K and 390W/m/K respectively; diamond ranges from 1200-2000 W/m/K depending on quality). In the proposed scheme, the device's active epitaxial layers are removed from their original substrate and transferred to a specially treated low-cost CVD diamond substrate using a proprietary low-cost manufacturable scheme. The active junction rests just 20-nm from diamond. The semiconductor-on-diamond technology proposed here may be applied to GaAs, SiC, SiGe, etc. at up to 8" in wafer diameter.
Benefits
GaN-on-Diamond Power Amplifiers may be used for Base-stations (3G and WiMax). Also, GaN-on-Diamond wafers ay be used for blue/white LEDs (displays), and Laser Diodes (storage, DVD, litho).
2-10KW Ka-band (34-36GHz) solid-state Power Amplifiers for use in the manufacture radar equipment. Radar may be used in SWOT, GLISTIN, clouds and precipitation studies
Details
| Technology area | Communications, Navigation, and Orbital Debris Tracking and Characterization Systems > Radio Frequency > Innovative RF Technologies |
| Program | Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR) |
| Lead organization | Group4 Labs, LLC, Menlo Park, CA |
| Start date | 2010-02-18 |
| End date | 2013-05-13 |
Project contacts
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How to get involved
This is a mature technology (TRL 8) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.
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