TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Sensors, Electronics

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA 261 H53 and PMA 275 V-22 Program Offices

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: Develop a state-of-the-art high power, highly linear, broadband, W-band solid state power amplifier utilizing wideband gap semiconductor device technology.

DESCRIPTION: Active antenna arrays and radar transmitters operating at W-band, especially 94 GHz, offer superior performance through clouds, fog, and smoke. Novel wide bandgap RF circuit technology is sought for radar operation at W-band in brownout and degraded visibility conditions. This need has led to interest in the development of W-band high power, high efficiency amplifiers. RF power amplifiers operating at W-band frequencies are currently realized almost exclusively in gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP) material systems due to their high transition frequency (Ft) performance. However, use of these devices has resulted in larger device peripheries for a given specified output power, more combining structures, higher combining losses, and lower power densities. These device technologies are not capable of meeting future peak power requirements. On the other hand, wide bandgap device technologies such as gallium nitride (GaN) can overcome these limitations as they can operate at higher voltages and have demonstrated power handling capabilities on the order 10x greater than that of GaAs or InP technologies. The goal of this topic is to develop a 94 GHz GaN device or unit cell, or circuit or microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC). Demonstrate a single device or unit cell that outputs greater than 4 or 5 watts/mm and greater than 25% power added efficiency. Based on the device or unit cell performance, develop a 94 GHz GaN based high power amplifier circuit with the power output greater than 5 watts, gain greater than 25 dB, and 15% power added efficiency.

PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility through device simulation, analysis and/or device demonstration the capability to develop a 94 GHz device or unit cell that meets the objectives of this topic. Compare and contrast the gain, bandwidth, power, efficiency, and device architecture tradeoffs.

PHASE II: Demonstrate the feasibility through circuit simulation, analysis and/or circuit demonstration the capability to develop a circuit or MMIC architecture that meets the objectives of this topic. Compare and contrast the gain, bandwidth, power, efficiency, and device architecture tradeoffs. Develop the design criteria to address the thermal, electrical, and packaging challenges.

PHASE III: Demonstrate a fully functional W-Band power amplifier architecture utilizing power combining techniques to meet the platform radar or active antenna array requirements or performance objectives. Demonstrate power amplifier architecture electrical, mechanical and thermal in a relevant operational environment.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: W-Band gallium nitride (GaN) power amplifiers have potential commercial/dual-use applications in imaging for astronomy, security scanning systems to detect concealed objects for law enforcement, automotive radar collision avoidance systems, and high data rate wireless communication and networking systems/devices.

REFERENCES:
1. L. Marosi, M. Sholley, et al "94 GHz Power Amplifier using PHEMT Technology," Microwave Symposium Digest, 1995. IEEE MTT-S International, 16-20 May 1995 Page(s):1597 - 1600 vol.3.

2. Pin-Pin Huang; Tian-Wei Huang; et al.; Elliott, J.H, "A 94-GHz 0.35-W power amplifier module", Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on Volume 45, Issue 12, Part 2, Dec. 1997 Page(s):2418 – 2423.

KEYWORDS: Wide bandgap; power amplifier; millimeter wave; gallium nitride; brownout; aircraft.

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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