Microwave power measurement capability at cryogenic temperatures has been developed to demonstrate the performance improvements that are possible by operating microwave power devices at reduced baseplate temperatures. Measurements at 200 K show improvement in power-added efficiency of 38% for PHEMTs and 54% for InP-based HBTs over room temperature values under constant gain conditions. Output power improvement of 3 dB at 200 K on PHEMT devices is predicted based on measurements. These results show that advanced device technologies, optimized for cooled operation, may provide significantly enhanced system performance and reliability with a minimal increase in prime power.
展开▼
