A product in the new line of GaN high power transistors. Photo: Cree

[Via Satellite 05-30-2014] Cree, Inc. unveiled a new line of high power GaN Radio Frequency (RF) transistors based on a low-cost plastic package design. The transistors will be available at power levels of 60, 100, 150, 200 and 300 watts, and operate at frequencies up to 3.8 GHz. The new line will offer transistors pre-matched to cellular bands with range options of 690 to 960 MHz, 1800 to 2300 MHz or 2300 to 2700 MHz.

One of the first products of the line will be the 300W transistor operating at 2.7 GHz, with pop-up satellite archival tag (Psat) efficiency of 65 percent. Apart from being scalable to high power levels, the new transistors will have the ability to operate across multiple cellular bands. They are expected to permit the deployment of lower-cost macrocell radio units for the data demands of cellular LTE networks.

The transistors are designed to enable network operators to deploy aggregation solutions by joining different bands of spectrum and creating larger data pipes for faster download speeds and additional network capacity. This can assist cellular base station Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) by speeding their time to market with less of a need for band-specific amplifiers.

“Our new packaging platform allows us to break a significant cost barrier that has prevented telecom infrastructure providers from fully exploiting the full performance capability of GaN technology,” said Jim Milligan, RF business director at Cree. “By delivering broadband and high efficiency performance in a cost-effective solution, we believe GaN is poised for rapid adoption by setting a new standard for performance and price.”