Introduction:
RF laterally diffused MOS (LDMOS) is currently the dominant device technology used in high-power RF power amplifier (PA) applications for frequencies ranging from 1 MHz to greater than 3.5 GHz. Beginning in the early 1990s, LDMOS has gained wide acceptance for cellular infrastructure PA applications, and now is the dominant RF power device technology for cellular infrastructure. This device technology offered significant advantages over the previous incumbent device technology, the silicon bipolar transistor, providing superior linearity, efficiency, gain and lower cost packaging options.