The 2018 International Consumer Electronics Show was not disappointing, with some web-based gadgets for home, car and bathroom. However, many of these technologies require more data, putting tremendous pressure on wireless networks.
Imagine if the US 125 million families suddenly used smart toilets.
Cable TV networks and cellular base stations are under pressure as the number of low-bandwidth devices and high-bandwidth devices doubles. So what should network providers do?
The answer is a bit surprising, that is, drawing on the defense industry. When network providers struggle in the consumer electronics arena, they are trying to adopt high-gain, high-power RF solutions for defense radar and communications systems, including many solutions using GaN.
Yes, using GaN technology
Gallium nitride, more commonly known as "GaN", is not the latest cryptocurrency technology and may have been learned in high school chemistry classes. GaN is a compound semiconductor that exists in many different forms depending on the application.
These include:
• GaN-on-silicon or GaN-on-Si
• SiC-based gallium nitride (SiC) or GaN-on-SiC
• Mercapto-based gallium nitride or GaN-on-Ge
• Diamond GaN
• and my personal favorite hexagonal boron nitride gallium nitride or GaN-on-h-BN
Regardless of the form, GaN means power. GaN's reliable operation at higher temperatures and longer lifetimes make it ideal for aerospace and defense applications in demanding environments. For example, GaN has been used in space applications, communication systems, and active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar since the 1990s.
Add a new word to your thesaurus.
Until recently, the cost of GaN has been high. GaN devices for high reliability military applications are typically packaged in ceramic or metal;
Today, plastic packaging reduces the cost of GaN, making it more attractive to the commercial market. Plastics reduce product weight and enable flexible design, both of which are critical for commercial applications. Wireless infrastructure vendors can also upgrade existing systems with GaN in plastic packages, saving upgrade time and cost without creating new equipment.
GaN for networkingGaN improves RF performance and system efficiency at higher bandwidths to meet the demands of today's high-speed networks. In fact, GaN amplifiers can achieve higher output power while reducing power consumption by 20% compared to conventional technologies.
In addition to power savings, GaN supports other environmental initiatives by dramatically reducing material waste and the energy required to produce gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon line amplifiers. Due to its reliable thermal performance, GaN is also well suited for next-generation networks where long-term reliability is critical.
All of this means that network providers can reduce operating costs and provide consumers with more reliable, cost-effective wireless services.
Although still in its infancy in the networking arena, GaN has had a huge impact. GaN brings DOCSIS 3.1, a cable TV standard, to the cable TV industry, enabling cable providers to increase network speeds with existing cable infrastructure.
Compared to DOCSIS 3.0, the new DOCSIS 3.1 standard increases the effective downstream "download" data rate from 160 Mbps to 10 Gbps and increases the upstream "upload" data rate from 120 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Consumers can watch high-definition television (HDTV) and receive video-on-demand (VOD) services.
You should be thankful for DOCSIS 3.1 (and GaN) when you watch the favorite "Fantasy Story" characters on HDTV and constantly repel the monster's picture.
GaN also has an impact on the cellular base stations that transmit signals from the tower to the handset. Bandwidth is a finite resource. Therefore, as data requirements increase, network operators must improve their base station performance while managing excess heat. GaN can meet this challenge, and network operators can take advantage of their superior thermal performance to keep base stations cooler.
The emergence of 5G has made GaN even more important. High power, high frequency and thermal management are the three major challenges encountered in implementing the fifth generation cellular network.
Can GaN be mobile?Using GaN in a cell phone is only a matter of time. Smartphone manufacturers will need to use GaN to achieve the higher millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency required for 5G, and the challenge is to run GaN at lower voltage levels. Typical operating voltages for radar, base station and cable TV applications range from 28 to 48 V. However, handheld devices have an average voltage range of 2.7 to 5 V. We are already developing new process technologies and packaging technologies to operate GaN in the low voltage range described above.
Finally, when it comes to mmWave, GaN will be significantly better than today's technology in terms of power size and efficiency. We expect to see mmWave in mobile devices in the early to mid 1920s.
By then, it will rely on GaN!
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