MaxLinear and Cree are collaborating on a new 5G base station solution combining ultra-wideband linearization and gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon carbide (SiC) mid-band power amplifiers.
GaN on SiC used in 5G will help significant power, thermal and cost savings through more efficient wireless transmission, the companies said. The power savings from the GaN on SiC power amplifiers with a linearization solution can save power in the hundreds of watts for the massive MIMO radios that 5G needs.
The solution delivers linearization performance for a 280 MHz channel to support U.S. 5G spectrum (3.7 to 3.98 GHz). At 280 MHz, the Cree WS1A3940 power amplifier has a ~50% efficiency for the average output power of 39.5 dBm, providing a sampling rate of 983 MSPS and improves linearity by greater than 20 dB to exceed 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) and the FCC’s requirements.
