Ultra-broadband amplifiers have output power of tube amplifiers in compact, solid-state modules

Qorvo has introduced three new solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) modules that further expand the power and frequency range of the company’s Spatium® amplifier family. The modules are optimized for electronic warfare applications, enabling defense customers to use ultra-wideband SSPA technology as an alternative to traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs).

“The need for wider bandwidth, higher frequency and higher performance will drive growth for gallium nitride (GaN) in defense applications, with the market approaching $342 million by 2020,” said Asif Anwar, director of Strategy Analytics’ Strategic Technologies Practice. “The Spatium technology with GaN places Qorvo in an ideal position to address defense TWTA replacements without compromising high power and broadband performance.”

Spatium products feature ultra-efficient RF power-combining capabilities built on GaN on silicon carbide (SiC) MMIC technology. This creates a highly stable, reliable, high-performance TWTA alternative for demanding airborne, electronic warfare, test and simulation applications. Solid-state Spatium modules have longer service lifetimes than comparable TWTAs, and offer advantages in size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-C).

Roger Hall, general manager of High Performance Solutions at Qorvo said, “Our new Spatium amplifiers give RF designers unprecedented efficiency with output power from hundreds to thousands of watts. Spatium excels in broadband applications; now solid-state solutions can outperform TWTAs with a much lower total ownership cost.”

The new modules include a 2-6 GHz/300-watt unit, a 2-18 GHz/60-watt unit, and a 2-8 GHz/150-watt unit. Each is available in two configurations – as a solo Spatium amplifier building block, or as a Spatium-based rack mountable box with a driver, internal power supply and fan, suitable for bench-top demonstration or laboratory test equipment. The table below outlines specifications. Limited demonstration units are available to qualified defense customers.