A 60-85% EFFICIENT X- & K-BAND 1KWATT SOLID-STATE POWER AMPLIFIER USING GAN-ON-DIAMOND THIS PHASE-I SBIR PR…

Public award description

A 60-85% EFFICIENT X- & K-BAND 1KWATT SOLID-STATE POWER AMPLIFIER USING GAN-ON-DIAMOND THIS PHASE-I 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 EFFICIENCY, SOLID-STATE POWER AMPLIFIER MMICS THAT WILL OPERATE IN X-BAND (8.4GHZ), AND KA-BAND (26-38GHZ). IN THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL, THE FIRST EVER 80% EFFICIENT 8.4GHZ AND 34-38GHZ GAN-ON-DIAMOND FETS WILL BE DEMONSTRATED, EXHIBITING A RECORD 5-10 W/MM AT RECORD TEMPERATURE LEVELS. ARRAYS OF THESE FETS WILL BE USED TO FORM 60%+ EFFICIENT 150W-1KWATT POWER AMPLIFIERS (PA) MMICS IN PHASE-II. 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 HOST 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 DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY PROPOSED HERE MAY BE APPLIED TO GAAS, SIC, SIGE, ETC.