RF power amplifiers (RFPA) are integral parts of all basestations for cellular and mobile wireless infrastructure. They represent one of the most expensive component sub-assemblies in modern wireless infrastructure equipment and both their performance and cost are important drivers in base station design. Efficiency, physical size, linearity, and reliability are among the principal concerns. As price pressures become fiercer, new and innovative techniques and materials must be used to reduce the cost of this important component part while still maintaining performance.
The RF power semiconductors used in these power amplifiers are the linchpin for their cost and capability and they must keep pace with both the economic and technical realities facing designers and users of these RF power amplifiers.
This study examines all of the above topics and illuminates the interdependent relationship of RF power semiconductors to RF power amplifiers. Included are discussions and data on the expanding China and Asia-Pacific marketplace plus a discussion on how gallium nitride (GaN) devices will affect the future of the RFPA semiconductor device market. Quantitative forecasts are presented through 2020 for RF power semiconductors for mobile wireless infrastructure.