Technologies for Heat Removal in Electronics At the Device Scale (THREADS)
Abstract
The Technologies for Heat Removal in Electronics At the Device Scale (THREADS) program is developing technologies to overcome transistor thermal limits to realize robust, high power density transistors that operate near their fundamental electronic limit of radio-frequency (RF) output power. DoD's RF transmitters increasingly use high-power gallium nitride (GaN) wide bandgap (WBG) transistors, which provide a 5X improvement in RF power output compared to the legacy gallium arsenide (GaAs) technology. Achieving high RF power output while maintaining a transistor operating temperature below the nominal maximum reliable operation temperature faces two challenges. The first challenge is reducing thermal resistance within the device. This will be achieved by leveraging recent advances epitaxial growth processes and phonon bridges to reduce semiconductor material thermal resistance. The second challenge is more efficiently moving heat away from the transistor hot spots. This will be achieved through novel transistor topologies and by leveraging recent advances in the integration of 2D and 3D cooling structures and high thermal conductivity materials, such as diamond, into the transistor. THREADS will demonstrate high efficiency X-band transistors and power amplifier (PA) test vehicles with an output power density of 16X higher than production GaN amplifiers. THREADS technology will enable increased range for radar, communications, and electronic warfare systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- 4e3dd2b684ab9e6239a8c92500f48194
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- Root: ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY