Publication Date
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Yan Zhuang, Ph.D. (Advisor); Weisong Wang, Ph.D. (Committee Member); Marian K. Kazimierczuk, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)
Abstract
This study examines the aging effects of GaN HEMTs, focusing on the CG2H40010 device under conditions that mimic the high-power, high-frequency environments of wireless communication systems. With the increasing adoption of GaN technology in RF applications, understanding its degradation mechanisms under CW stress and modulated signal characterization is essential for predicting device lifetime and ensuring performance standards for modern communication systems. RFALT was employed to stress the device using CW signals, while key performance metrics, such as gain compression, gate leakage, ACP, and EVM, were assessed using W-CDMA signals to replicate real-world dynamic stresses. The findings reveal that CW stress accelerates thermal and electrical degradation in GaN HEMTs, while W-CDMA characterization highlights the impact of complex modulation on linearity and spectral containment. Degradation mechanisms such as ohmic contact wear and dielectric failure significantly affect performance, especially under high peak-to-average ratio conditions. This research underscores the importance of combining CW-based RFALT with modulation-specific testing to evaluate device reliability comprehensively. By addressing thermal management, enhancing dielectric materials, and employing linearization techniques, these insights pave the way for optimizing GaN HEMTs to meet the stringent requirements of 5G and future wireless communication systems.
Page Count
113
Department or Program
Department of Electrical Engineering
Year Degree Awarded
2024
Copyright
Copyright 2024, all rights reserved. My ETD will be available under the "Fair Use" terms of copyright law.
ORCID ID
0009-0006-0378-7058
