Abstract: A semiconductor indicator for quantitatively diagnosing voltage conditions in high power transistor devices is provided. The semiconductor indicator includes a first transistor and a second transistor, where an electrically active periphery of the second transistor is less than an electrically active periphery of the first transistor. The transistors are thermally coupled to one another and may be in close proximity. The second transistor detects the voltage of a node on the first transistor and may be monitored by infrared imaging. The breakdown voltage characteristic of the second transistor may not substantially change as the temperature in the first transistor increases. An optional control circuit monitors and detects the output voltage of the first transistor.

Abstract: According to the present invention, schottky diode technology is used to limit the amount of stored charge which must be overcome by an RF transistor during the portion of an RF cycle when the RF transistor attempts to turn on. Limiting the amount of stored charge stabilizes the bias point of the RF transistor on its load line so that the mode of operation of the RF transistor may be maintained. Thus, a schottky diode is placed in a RF transistor circuit and acts as a current sink to bleed stored charge to ground. Placement of the schottky diode close to the RF transistor provides a number of benefits, including introduction of the schottky diode at a low impedance point of the RF transistor circuit, minimization of lead/lag phase angles introduced by intervening matching elements, and minimization of resonance effects.

Abstract: A biasing device for actively biasing the base of an RF device operating in quasi-linear modes. The biasing device provides a source of low-impedance current and high current capability. The biasing device includes three transistors, each having a base, collector and emitter and one low turn-on diode. The first and second transistors are connected such that changes in the base-emitter voltage of the biased RF device can be detected. The third transistor is configured in a Darlington configuration with the first transistor in order to provide (1) increased sensitivity to voltage changes detected by the second transistor and (2) additional collector voltage for the second transistor to prevent it from operating in saturation. The low turn-on diode is a compensating diode which thermally tracks and compensates for operating changes in the second transistor due to temperature.

Abstract: A biasing device which is in thermal contact with an RF device for actively biasing the RF device operating in quasi-linear modes. The biasing device provides a low impedance current source with high current capability to the base of the RF device. The biasing device includes three specially-processed transistors. The second and third transistors are connected such that their base-emitter and base-collector junctions are in parallel effectively forming two exceptionally low turn on series diodes. The result of reducing the resistances of the second and third transistors, by configuration and processing, is that they turn on slightly before the RF device is biased to its quiescent point.