Collaborating with United Monolithic Semiconductors and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics, NXP Semiconductors is developing a gallium-nitride (GaN) process technology that boosts performance of next-generation RF power amplifiers.

The new  GaN process, with its high frequency combined with high power, puts NXP in the ideal position of being able to support future applications while continuing to evolve its well-established LDMOS technology.

The GaN technology delivers numerous benefi s to manufacturers of infrastructure equipment. Using the GaN technology in a transmitter represents a significant cost savings in system manufacturing, along with major improvements in system performance and flexibility.

Most of today's basestation power amplifiers are limited to specific applications. The new GaN-based technology lets operators use a "universal transmitter" to switch between systems and frequencies, so they can instantly meet demands in the basestation's coverage area. GaN transistors enable much more efficient power amplifiers and as a result drive down the operational costs of telecom operators.

GaN transistors can operate at much higher junction temperatures than Si- and GaAs-based devices, so GaN is an ideal candidate for environments with reduced cooling capabilities, such as tower-top basestations. Also, with its high power densities, GaN has the potential to expand the power range of solid state power amplifiers into areas where vacuum tubes still dominate, such as high-power broadcast applications.