Fujitsu Develops World’s First Compact, High-Output, Single-Chip 10 GHz Transceiver Using GaN HEMT

Fujitsu Laboratories today announced that it has successfully developed the world’s first single-chip transceiver using gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) technology that features an output of 6.3 W and that operates at a frequency of 10 GHz. The chip footprint is reduced by over 90% which enables more compact radars and wireless communications equipment.

In order to simultaneously handle strong transmission signals and weak incoming signals in the same chip, it is necessary to efficiently switch between outgoing and incoming signals, while reducing the impact that outgoing signals have on incoming signals. However, until now, it has been technologically difficult to accomplish both of these objectives in tandem.

Fujitsu Laboratories has resolved this issue by developing a duplexer with low signal loss using a GaN-HEMT, and through high-output circuit integration design technology that controls signal interference between the outgoing and incoming signals. The result is a transceiver chip operating at a frequency of 10 GHz with output of 6.3 W that measures only 3.6mm x 3.3mm, representing a footprint that is less than 10% of the size of the multiple chips that have been needed until now.

With this technology, it is now possible to configure a high-output transceiver using just one chip, enabling systems such as radar equipment and wireless communications equipment to be made more compact.

A new duplexer was developed that uses GaN-HEMT. This measures 1.8 mm × 2.4 mm, with 1.1 dB transmission loss in the 0–12 GHz range. This is dramatically smaller and lighter than earlier switches using magnetic materials —less than 10% the size.

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