New RF LDMOS Transistors to Handle High RF Power in Commercial and Industrial Applications

Published  August 18, 2021   0
STPOWER LDMOS Transistor Series

The new STPOWER LDMOS transistor series from STMicroelectronics offers high efficiency and low thermal resistance and can handle high RF power in various industrial and commercial applications. The devices in the series combine a short conduction-channel length with a high breakdown voltage and permit a cost-effective solution with low power consumption and high reliability.

The STPOWER LDMOS transistor series comprises of IDCH, IDDE and IDEV devices ideal for variety of applications. The IDCH series devices provide output power from 8W to 300W and are specifically designed for applications up to 4GHz, including 2.45GHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM), wireless infrastructure, satellite communications, and avionics and radar equipment.

The IDDE series comprises of 10W-700W devices for broadband commercial, industrial, and scientific applications at frequencies up to 1.5GHz. These devices can withstand a load VSWR (voltage standing wave ratio) of 10:1, through all phases and are suitable for all typical modulation formats and for most classes of RF PA operation including Class A, Class AB, and Class C. Moreover, their high efficiency minimizes the energy needed to deliver the required output power, resulting in lower operating costs and reduced heat dissipation thereby simplifying thermal management and enabling more compact systems.

The IDEV series devices feature a 50V common-source, N-channel-enhancement-mode, lateral field-effect, RF power transistor technology. With output power from 15W up to 2.2kW, the IDEV portfolio is designed for ISM applications at frequencies up to 250MHz, including driving high-power CO2 lasers, plasma generators, MRI systems, broadcast FM-radio transmitters in the 88MHz–108MHz range, and avionics and radar applications up to 1.5GHz. These devices are suitable for all typical modulation formats and for PA operation in Class A, Class AB, and Class C.

The rugged IDEV series is capable of up to 2.2kW continuous-wave (CW) output power, from HF (3-30MHz) frequencies up to 250MHz. Delivering high power from a single ceramic package, these devices reduce the total number of RF power transistors needed in high-power applications such as broadcast transmitters. Power efficiency greater than 82% minimizes system power demand and ensures high reliability with simple thermal management. The company has released 30 new STPOWER RF LDMOS devices across the three series in various industry-standard packages. The price range is from $15 to $100.