High performance GaN single-chip frontend for compact X-band AESA systems

A next generation of AESA antennas will be challenged with the need for lower size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C). This leads to enhanced demands especially with regard to the integration density of the RF-part inside a T/R module. The semiconductor material GaN has proven its capacity for high power amplifiers, robust receive components as well as switch components for separation of transmit and receive mode. This paper will describe the design and measurement results of a GaN-based single-chip T/R module frontend (HPA, LNA and SPDT) using UMS GH25 technology and covering the frequency range from 8 GHz to 12 GHz. Key performance parameters of the frontend are 13 W minimum transmit (TX) output power over the whole frequency range with peak power up to 17 W. The frontend in receive (RX) mode has a noise figure below 3.2 dB over the whole frequency range, and can survive more than 5 W input power. The large signal insertion loss of the used SPDT is below 0.9 dB at 43 dBm input power level.