"Dynax semiconductor, Inc., the first manufacturer of commercial gallium nitride (GAN) electronic devices in China, released a broadband and efficient Gan power amplifier dx1h3438140p suitable for 5g mobile communication. The power amplifier can support the frequency band of 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz, reaching the world leading level in efficiency, gain, broadband characteristics and linearity. Moreover, the power amplifier tube is specially optimized for the wireless communication base station, which is easy to be designed as a broadband power amplifier with Doherty architecture, and is very suitable for the macro station RRU with an average output power of 20 W. Suzhou Nengxun is releasing the potential of domestic gallium nitride to provide the market with a series of gallium nitride devices with excellent performance.
China's 5g mobile communication system has completed the test of key technologies such as large-scale antenna, multiple access multiple carrier and high-frequency communication in the first stage. At the same time, it has also verified the requirements of diversified scenarios such as user experience rate up to Gbps, millisecond end-to-end delay and millions of nodes per square kilometer; At present, the operators have launched the second phase of the test, and carried out the R & D and test of wireless air interface and network technology solutions for the three 5g typical scenarios of mobile Internet, low delay, high reliability and low power Dalian connection. The test frequency is 3.6 GHz, and the test is planned to be completed by the end of 2017 to prepare for the opening of 5g communication experimental network in 2018.
In order to achieve high-speed and high-capacity user experience, it is bound to broaden the signal bandwidth. Among a series of planned frequency bands, the 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz band has taken the lead in becoming a global hot frequency, attracting the key attention of the global mobile industry. Major equipment manufacturers focus on developing macro stations or integrated small base stations for 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz. For example, Nokia's TD-LTE 3.5GHz 8t8r macro station RRU, 4t4r low-power RRU and integrated small base station. Ericsson's macro radio 2218 and micro radio 440 focus on 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz applications. Huawei and ZTE have also launched multi carrier broadband RRU based on 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz, with carrier signal bandwidth exceeding 150 MHz.
Major RF power amplifier tube manufacturers are also scrambling to push through the old and bring forth the new, and constantly release devices that meet the market demand. However, the current mainstream silicon-based LDMOS power amplifier has performance defects in frequency and efficiency, which makes it difficult to meet the high-frequency and efficient needs of 5g system, and gradually loses its dominant position in the base station power amplifier market. Gallium nitride effectively reduces the junction capacitance with its inherent high power density, so as to improve the bandwidth and meet the video bandwidth requirements of multi carrier system for power semiconductor devices.
Huawei took the lead in using Gan RF power tubes in large quantities, which not only optimized the RF performance of the system, but also simplified the thermal design, reduced the volume and weight, facilitated the engineering construction and network optimization, effectively promoted the development of the industry, and opened a new era of commercial use of the third generation RF power amplifier tubes based on gallium nitride materials.
In such a good market environment, Nengxun semiconductor came into being and is committed to the development and production of Gan RF power devices. It is the only IDM company in China with independent gallium nitride Fab factory and production capacity except scientific research institutes. It can provide customers with diversified cooperation modes from epitaxial materials, die design to device production. The products are continuously launched and gradually recognized by the market and customers.
For the 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz broadband multi carrier RRU project, Nengxun has developed a variety of Gan power amplifier tubes, combined with Doherty, DPD and other efficient linearization technologies, providing customers with power amplifier solutions of 20 W or more.
Firstly, as a very important part of the communication transmission system, the power amplifier's output power capability and drain efficiency will have an important impact on the whole communication system. From the perspective of comprehensive performance, gallium nitride RF power amplifier has become the most suitable choice for high-frequency, high-power and broadband high-efficiency power amplifier modules. Gan not only makes up for the lack of high-frequency bandwidth and efficiency of LDMOS, but also improves the deficiency of GaAs in high-frequency power capacity. Coupled with the advantages of gallium nitride in reliability, GaN has become the preferred power amplifier technology for 5g communication.
Moreover, in recent years, European and American semiconductor companies have tightened the blockade on the domestic power amplifier market, and domestic gallium nitride enterprises have been vigorously pursued by the market and accelerated their development.
As the first commercial gallium nitride electronic device manufacturer in China, Nengxun high energy semiconductor Co., Ltd. released a new Gan RF power amplifier dx1h3438140p according to the needs of market and base station customers. The power amplifier tube can support the frequency band of 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz. With its excellent broadband performance, customers can use the same broadband power amplifier tube to replace the original two or even three power amplifiers in this frequency band. The working voltage of the power amplifier tube is 48 V, which has good linearity, power density, efficiency and broadband characteristics in this frequency band. When used at board level, external matching is easy to realize and debugging is simple.
The power amplifier is designed as Doherty architecture, which is very suitable for base stations with an average power of 20 W. The Doherty power amplifier designed with the power amplifier tube can support 160 MHz broadband signal and cooperate well with broadband DPD system. After DPD correction at room temperature, the linearity can reach - 50 DBC @ 45.4 DBM, showing perfect RF closed-loop performance. Figure 1 shows the picture of power amplifier tube:
Figure 1. Picture of dx1h3438140p power amplifier tube
Next, we have conducted single tube and Doherty performance tests for this power tube:
1、 Load pull performance
Table 1 shows the load pull test performance of power amplifier dx1h3438140p at 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz.
Load pull performance demonstration (3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz)
Freq （GHz）3.43.63.8
Pout （dBm）51.6551.6151.58
Gp （dB）19.820.119.3
DE （%）697168
Test conditions: VDS = 48 V, IDS = 400 Ma
Pulse Width = 100 µs， Duty Cycle = 10 %
Table 1. Dx1h3438140p load pull test results
2、 3.6ghz class AB commissioning
The drain voltage VDS of the amplifier is 48 V and the quiescent current IDq is 400 ma. The PCB plate used is Rogers 4350b. Figure 2 shows the demo picture before debugging.
Figure 2. Dx1h3438140p demo picture
2.1 small signal performance
The return loss S11 of the amplifier is less than - 10 dB and the bandwidth is greater than 400 MHz in the range of 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz. At 3.6 GHz, the small signal gain is greater than 19 dB. Figure 3 shows the result curve of small signal debugging.
Figure 3. Small signal performance of dx1h3438140p after commissioning
2.2 pulse saturation power test
After commissioning, the saturation power of the amplifier is 51.7 DBM, the saturation efficiency is 67.3%, and the power gain when the power fallback is 7.5 DB is 19.3 dB. Figure 4 shows the test results of large signal pulse.
Figure 4. Pulse test performance of dx1h3438140p after commissioning
2.3 DPD linearity test
After DPD correction, the amplifier shows excellent linear performance. The test signal is WCDMA 3GPP test model 1, 64 DPCH, 45% clipping, par = 7.5 DB @ 0.01% probability on CCDF. When the power fallback is 8 dB, the corrected ACLR can reach - 58 DBC. Figure 5 shows the DPD test results.
Figure 5. DPD performance after dx1h3438140p commissioning
3、 Doherty performance
In order to realize the perfect combination of linearity and efficiency of power amplifier, Nengxun has developed broadband Doherty power amplifier boards of 3.4 ghz-3.6 GHz and 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz respectively. The power amplifier adopts 1:1 symmetrical Doherty architecture to show its best broadband and linear characteristics. For the signal par 7.5 DB commonly used in the current communication system, we take the saturation power fallback of 8 dB as its average output power to show its performance during fallback. Specifically, refer to the efficiency curves in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7.
3.1 and 3.4 ghz-3.6ghz Doherty pulse power test
Table 2 shows the performance parameters of 3.4 ghz-3.6 GHz Doherty power amplifier in the bandwidth of 200 MHz. Its saturated output power is greater than 53.9 DBM. When the saturated power fallback is 8 dB and the average output power is 46 DBM, its efficiency is more than 42.5% and the gain is greater than 15.1 dB. The Doherty power amplifier has outstanding performance during power fallback, and is very suitable for RRU power amplifier applications in the range of 20-30 W.
3.4 ghz-3.6 GHz pulse characteristics
Main static current 400 Ma, peak tube grid voltage - 4 V
Pulse Width = 100 µs， Duty Cycle = 10 %
Frequency (GHz) 3.43.53.6
Saturation power (DBM) 54.153.953.9
Efficiency @ 46dbm (%) 42.544.644.0
Gain@46dBm （dB）15.715.515.1
Table 2. 3.4 ghz-3.6 GHz Doherty power amplifier test data
Figure 6. 3.4 ghz-3.6 GHz Doherty power amplifier pulse test performance
3.2 and 3.4 ghz-3.8ghz Doherty pulse power test
Table 3 shows the performance parameters of 3.4 ghz-3.6 GH Doherty power amplifier in 400 MHz bandwidth. Its saturated output power is greater than 53.9 DBM. When the saturated power fallback is 8 dB and the average output power is 46 DBM, its efficiency is more than 38.5% and the gain is greater than 14.7 dB.
3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz pulse characteristics
Main static current 400 Ma, peak tube grid voltage - 4 V
Pulse Width = 100 µs， Duty Cycle = 10 %
Frequency (GHz) 3.43.63.8
Saturation power (DBM) 53.953.9854.2
Efficiency @ 46dbm (%) 414338.5
Gain@46dBm （dB）15.815.514.7
Table 3. 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz Doherty power amplifier test data
Figure 7. Pulse test performance of 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz Doherty power amplifier
Figure 8. Pictures of 3.4 ghz-3.8 GHz Doherty demo
3.3 broadband DPD linearity test
Figure 9 shows the linear results of 3.4 ghz-3.6 GHz Doherty power amplifier broadband signal designed by Nengxun for customers. The test signal is LTE 160 MHz signal, and the peak to average ratio is 7.5 dB. When the output power of the power amplifier port is greater than 45 DBM, the corrected linearity can still be lower than - 50 DBC. Fig. 10 is a spectrum diagram of the two carriers on the right after correction of the 160 MHz signal (11000011 mode).
Figure 9. DPD correction result of broadband LTE signal
Figure 10. Spectrum diagram of 160 MHz broadband signal
4、 Summary
From the test performance of class AB or Doherty, dx1h3438140p has outstanding performance in terms of bandwidth, power, efficiency and linearity. This fully verifies the advanced material growth and die design ability, fine process control and stable and reliable production capacity of Nengxun semiconductor company.
About Dynax semiconductor, Inc
Founded in 2007, Nengxun semiconductor is a high-tech enterprise founded by overseas returning teams supported by China's first "thousand talents plan".
The company is headquartered at No. 18, CHENFENG Road, Kunshan national high tech Zone, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, and has set up R & D centers in Xi'an and Nanjing. Nengxun semiconductor is committed to the industrialization of energy-efficient gallium nitride (GAN) power semiconductor materials and devices, and took the lead in building China's first commercial gallium nitride electronic materials and devices factory in Kunshan high tech Zone, Suzhou.
Nengxun semiconductor has independently developed gallium nitride material growth, device design, manufacturing process, packaging and reliability technology. At present, it has more than 150 Chinese and international invention patents, and its technical level and product indicators have reached the international advanced level. Nengxun's core team has rich overseas experience and currently maintains many world records for gallium nitride technology.
Nengxun closely follows the needs of customers, and has released a series of gallium nitride RF power amplifiers below 6 GHz, 5 w to 300 W, which meet the multi-mode and multi band needs of customers in TDD and FDD systems, and bring customers excellent broadband linearity and efficiency characteristics.
Nengxun's mission is to become a leading supplier of high-energy semiconductors. While maintaining the leading technology, Nengxun semiconductor will also make use of its local advantages to establish service standards of timely response, in-depth assistance and improving competitiveness, and serve customers wholeheartedly., Read the full text, technical section
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