A GaN-Based Ka-Band Front-End for High-Temperature Applications

This paper presents a comprehensive temperature -dependent performance analysis of an all-GaN Ka-band front-end, addressing a critical gap in current literature. The front-end includes detailed circuit design and characterization across both transmit and receive paths over a temperature range of 25°C to 150°C. Measurements were performed under small-signal, large-signal, and modulated-signal conditions, with additional noise characterization for the receive path. The standalone component results demonstrate state-of-the-art performance at room temperature, consistent with prior works, while the observed temperature-dependent behavior establishes a strong foundation for predicting GaN MMIC performance under varying thermal conditions. These findings provide essential guidance for the design of GaN front-ends in space-based and extreme-temperature RF applications and offer insight into inherent temperature-related device limitations in air-cooled environments.