Thermal Considerations for PAs AN-0003 Thermal Considerations for Power Amplifiers Overview Proper heatsinking to control junction temperature is an extremely important consideration for use of all power amplifiers.
Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) devices can tolerate considerably higher junction temperatures than Silicon (Si), but due to its lower thermal conductivity, it requires more consideration than Si to remove heat.
The thermal conductivity of GaAs is only about one third that of Si, and it has