GaN-on-Si HEMT Technology for mm-Wave Mobile T/R Modules Demonstrating Concurrent High Efficiency (>60%) and Low Noise (<1.2 dB)

GaN-on-Si HEMT Technology for mm-Wave Mobile T/R Modules Demonstrating Concurrent High Efficiency (>60%) and Low Noise (<1.2 dB)

IEEE Electron Device Letters

10.1109/LED.2026.3651778

https://doi.org/10.1109/led.2026.3651778

Yihao Zhuang, Siyu Liu, Pengju Cui, Viet Cuong Nguyen, Qingyun Xie, Ravikiran Lingaparthi, Hanchao Li, Hanlin Xie, Dharmarasu Nethaji, Ameera Nur, Xavier Teo Leng Seah, Stefan Degroote, Marianne Germain, K. Radhakrishnan, Geok Ing Ng

22 January 2026

Zhuang, Y., Liu, S., Cui, P., Nguyen, V. C., Xie, Q., Lingaparthi, R., Li, H., Xie, H., Nethaji, D., Nur, A., Seah, X. T. L., Degroote, S., Germain, M., Radhakrishnan, K., & Ng, G. I. (2026). GaN-on-Si HEMT Technology for mm-Wave Mobile T/R Modules Demonstrating Concurrent High Efficiency (gt;60%) and Low Noise (lt;1.2 dB). IEEE Electron Device Letters, 47(3), 482–485. https://doi.org/10.1109/led.2026.3651778

This Letter reports a GaN-on-Si HEMT technology with 60 to 150 nm T-gate achieving simultaneous high efficiency and low noise at low voltage ( 3−6 V) RF operation, suitable for monolithic integrated FR2 mobile Transmit/Receive (T/R) modules. At 30 GHz and VDS=5 V, in continuous wave operation, the fabricated Lg=100 nm device delivered a saturated output power of 1.2 W/mm with a record-high peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 62% while maintaining a state-of-the-art minimum noise figure ( NFmin ) of 1.1 dB. Enabled by the optimized epitaxial structure and fabrication process, the proposed technology, even with moderate scaling, offers a cost-effective solution for FR2 T/R modules.

Publisher Copyright

This research / project is supported by the A*STAR - White Space Manufacturing, Trade, and Connectivity funding
Grant Reference no. : M23WSNG001

This research / project is supported by the A*STAR - Manufacturing, Trade, and Connectivity Industry Alignment Fund Pre-Positioning (IAF-PP
Grant Reference no. : M22L3a0112

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