News: Microelectronics
18 June 2024
MACOM showcasing RF & microwave capabilities and foundry services at IMS2024
At the IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS 2024) in Washington DC (18–20 June), MACOM Technology Solutions Inc of Lowell, MA, USA is showcasing its latest RF, microwave and millimeter-wave products at booth #921 and its enhanced foundry services at booth #744.
MACOM is highlighting more than 14 technology demonstrations at the show, spanning its various product lines including diodes, RF power, MMIC, and linear modules and subsystems. The booth features the latest new product additions to the firm’s broad product portfolio. MACOM is also highlighting its expanded foundry services offerings. Customers and attendees can engage with MACOM’s design engineering, product management and applications engineering teams, who are providing in-depth explanations of MACOM’s solutions.
IMS2024 demonstrations and new product announcements include:
- GaN-on-SiC MMIC Ka-band power amplifier: This demonstration showcases a 6W driver and a 10W PA operating in the 33–37GHz band. These parts are fabricated using MACOM’s 140nm GaN-on-SiC technology.
- 300W X-band GaN-on-SiC matched power amplifier: A new addition to the MACOM RF product portfolio, this amplifier is fully matched to 50Ω at both input and output ports. Suitable for pulsed radar applications such as marine, defense and weather radar, it provides an optimal combination of output power, signal gain and drain efficiency in a small form factor at 9GHz.
- C-Band 100W GaN-on-SiC power amplifier with 57% power-added efficiency (PAE): This GaN power amplifier combines high gain and high efficiency for pulsed power applications within a small footprint (7mm x 7mm). This demonstration also features MACOM’s XP1044 driver amplifier and MACP-011113 surface-mount directional coupler.
- 250W 2.4-2.5GHz high-power GaN pallet: This two-stage GaN amplifier pallet, part of MACOM’s recently expanded range of RF solutions, is tailored for industrial, scientific & medical (ISM) applications. This turnkey solution features what is claimed to be the industry’s most efficient microwave CW transistor in a plastic package, enhancing cost effectiveness.
- GaN-on-Si MMIC low-noise amplifier (LNA) with fast recovery time: By utilizing MACOM’s proprietary 100nm GaN-on-Si technology, MACOM says that it delivers robust low-noise LNAs with what are claimed to be industry-leading recovery time. This combination of ruggedness, low noise figure and fast recovery time make these LNAs suitable for radar and electronic warfare (EW) applications.
- GaN switch: This demonstration displays MACOM’s GaN-on-Si switch solutions, highlighting a C-band GaN switch with a P0.1dB of greater than 50W. In addition, the firm’s latest high-frequency GaN-on-Si switch offerings are on display.
- Linearized Q-band GaN PA MMIC for SATCOM: This demonstration highlights MACOM linearizer technology. Combining a Q-band GaN-on-Si amplifier, designed for satellite communications, with a wideband analog linearizer, MACOM is showing how it is possible to simultaneously achieve optimal linearity, PAE and output power for SATCOM.
- Quad L-band to Ka-band block upconverter: This integrated solution offers what is claimed to be excellent phase-noise performance, an analog or digital interface and low sensitivity to microphonics. It simplifies system linearity and provides benefits in terms of cost, size, mass and complexity.
- X-band T/R module (TRM) with 42% PAE: Designed for X-band aerospace/defense applications, this demonstration highlights MACOM’s WSM5100S multi-chip module, which integrates a high-power GaN switch, a GaAs limiter-LNA and a GaN PA into a 7mm x 7mm QFN. This TRM delivers 5W output power with what is claimed to be industry-leading efficiency.
- High-power reflective SP2T surface-mount switch: Suitable for applications requiring high RF power and surface-mount capability, this switch operates between 30MHz and 5GHz. It offers high CW power handling up to 200W along with excellent insertion loss and switching speed, all within a compact package.
- Broadband high-power limiter: With an operating frequency of 2–18GHz and peak power handling up to 1kW, this RF limiter provides what is described as exemplary frequency, insertion loss and high-power performance to meet the necessary requirements for receiver protection as well as ship and airborne radar applications.
- High-power SOI switch: This switch features low insertion loss and a symmetric topology, along with excellent linearity, making it suitable for high-performance communications systems. The demonstration utilizes a CMPA2060040D1 amplifier as a driver stage and a MACP-011113 surface-mount directional coupler to highlight the SOI switch’s high compression level.
- Integrated filter technology/switched filter bank: This demonstration showcases MACOM’s various filter technologies and MACOM’s capability to integrate filters with other functions (in this case switches) to created switchable filter banks. This demonstration shows bulk acoustic wave (BAW), GaAs and laminate filters, highlighting the strengths of each technology and the potential integration options offered by MACOM.
- Space and hi-rel products: MACOM is exhibiting a wide range of space and high-reliability (hi-rel) components and capabilities for free-space optics (FSO) systems, including lasers, laser drivers, various photodiodes and trans-impedance amplifiers (TIAs). In addition, the MACOM team is presenting examples of various RF-over-fiber analog photonic subsystems used in high-performance satellite communication applications.
In addition to the product showcase, in booth #744 attendees can learn more about MACOM’s enhanced foundry services, including R&D, design assistance, custom packaging, testing and support from initial development through production manufacturing. With over 70 years of heritage in RF and microwave and three semiconductor fabrication facilities worldwide, MACOM says that it can help meet customer needs with high first-pass design success and demonstrated process reliability.
MACOM’s presentations during IMS2024 include the following:
- Topic: ’Characterization and Design of High-Power GaN-on-SiC Devices Through the Utilization of Application-Oriented Signals and a Comprehensive Segmented Modeling Approach’ by senior principal engineer Zulhazmi Mokhti (17 June, in Room 146B);
- KEYNOTE: ‘Stability Analysis Methods for Microwave Power Amplifiers: A Modern Perspective’ by distinguished fellow Dr Thomas Winslow (19 June);
- Topic: ‘HF Through UHF Techniques and Applications’ by Christopher Tenev, senior electronic design engineer, Linear Modules and Subystems (20 June, in Room 145AB).
