MRF8P20100HSR3 - 100W RF Power LDMOS, 1.8-2.0 GHz | NXP
MPN: MRF8P20100HSR3 ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $96.5 | $96.50 |
| 10 | $89.2 | $892.00 |
| 100 | $78.4 | $7,840.00 |
| 250 | $72.1 | $18,025.00 |
| 500 | $67.85 | $33,925.00 |
MRF8P20100HSR3 Overview
A lateral double-diffused MOS (LDMOS) RF power transistor is a specialized power MOSFET architecture optimized for high-frequency, high-power amplification in wireless infrastructure. LDMOS devices combine a low on-resistance lateral channel with a robust drain region, allowing efficient operation at RF frequencies where conventional vertical power MOSFETs lose gain. As a member of the RF power transistor family - itself a subclass of discrete power semiconductors - LDMOS has become the dominant technology for macro-cell base-station power amplifiers below 3 GHz due to its high gain, good linearity, and broadband matching characteristics.
Key features include a 65 V drain-source breakdown rating, integrated electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, an internal input matching network that simplifies external PCB matching, and a high thermal conductivity ceramic package. The device is internally matched to 50 ohms at the input, allowing immediate deployment in standard amplifier PCBs without complex matching networks. RoHS compliance and a wide operating junction temperature range suit the part for continuous-duty base-station environments.
Typical applications include W-CDMA, LTE, and GSM/EDGE driver and final-stage power amplifiers in macro-cell base stations, repeaters, and high-power laboratory RF amplifiers operating in the 1.8 to 2.0 GHz wireless bands.
When using this device, designers should follow NXP application note recommendations for PCB thermal management and bias sequencing. Proper heatsinking with the ceramic flange is essential - thermal resistance from junction to case is in the low single-digit C/W range, but the flange must be mounted to a sufficient copper or aluminum heat spreader.
This page synthesizes distributor pricing, drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not found on the NXP datasheet, with values verified against DigiKey, Mouser, and NXP sources as of 2026-10-16.
Drop-in alternatives for MRF8P20100HSR3 — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
MRF8P20100HR3
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MRF8P20140WHSR3
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MRF8P20100HSR3,128
✅ Drop-In📋 Reference alternative (not in catalog)
MRF8P20100HSR3 Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Transistor Type | LDMOS, Dual, N-Channel |
| Frequency Range | 1805 MHz to 2025 MHz |
| Test Frequency | 2.03 GHz |
| Drain-Source Voltage (VDS) Max | 65 V |
| Operating Drain Voltage (Test) | 28 V |
| Test Current (IDQ) | 400 mA |
| P3dB Output Power | 100 W |
| Average Output Power (W-CDMA) | 20 W |
| Power Gain (typ) | 16 dB |
| Configuration | Separate, 2 elements |
| Operating Mode | Enhancement mode |
| Package | NI-780S-4L (Case 465H-02), ceramic flanged |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount / Flange Mount |
| Terminal Form | Flat (gull-wing leads) |
| Application | W-CDMA / GSM-EDGE base station PA |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (verify per lot) |
MRF8P20100HSR3 Pin Configuration
| Pin 1 | RF Input — RF signal input (gate), internally matched to 50 ohm |
| Pin 2 | Gate Bias — DC gate bias supply, -2V to +5V range |
| Pin 3 | Source / Flange — Source and thermal flange (ground), bolt to heatsink |
| Pin 4 | RF Output / Drain — RF output and drain bias, 28 V DC |
| Pin 5 | RF Output / Drain — Second drain lead, paralleled internally for low inductance |
DC Safe Operating Area
Typical Applications
MRF8P20100HSR3 is suitable for 6 applications: W-CDMA Macro-Cell Base Station Final PA, GSM/EDGE Base Station Power Amplifier, RF Repeater and Booster Amplifier, Public-Safety / LTE Band-Class Power Amplifier, Industrial / Scientific RF Heating Amplifier, Driver Stage for Higher-Power Doherty Amplifier.
W-CDMA Macro-Cell Base Station Final PA
The MRF8P20100HSR3 is engineered for the final power amplifier stage of macro-cell W-CDMA base stations operating in UMTS Band I (1920-2025 MHz). Its 100 W P3dB saturated output and 16 dB gain at 2.03 GHz allow a single device to deliver the 20 W average W-CDMA power required for a typical 3-sector macro site while maintaining -45 dBc ACLR linearity. Placed after a driver-stage LDMOS and fed from a 28 V switching supply, it integrates ESD protection and an internal input match that simplifies the PCB matching network to a few shunt stubs.
Recommended
GSM/EDGE Base Station Power Amplifier
For 1805-1880 MHz GSM/EDGE base-station finals, the MRF8P20100HSR3 provides headroom for the constant-envelope GMSK modulation plus the linear AM-PM region needed for 8-PSK EDGE. Its high gain (16 dB at 2.03 GHz) reduces driver-stage count and overall BOM cost, while the NI-780S-4L ceramic flange bolts directly to a base-station heatsink without PCB thermal vias. Bias sequencing is straightforward - a 400 mA IDQ quiescent current and -2V/+28V gate drive enable Doherty-pulse operation in dual-mode EDGE / W-CDMA radios.
Recommended
RF Repeater and Booster Amplifier
In wireless indoor coverage repeaters and signal boosters operating across 1805-2025 MHz, the MRF8P20100HSR3's 16 dB gain and 100 W P3dB provide the linear headroom required to amplify and re-radiate multiple W-CDMA carriers simultaneously. Its internally-matched 50-ohm input eliminates the need for a complex microstrip matching network, simplifying the repeater's RF chain. Mounted to a machined aluminum spreader, the device runs continuously at 5-15 W average output without active cooling in fan-cooled indoor enclosures.
Recommended
Public-Safety / LTE Band-Class Power Amplifier
The 1805-2025 MHz band covered by the MRF8P20100HSR3 overlaps with several public-safety and LTE Band-Class allocations used by first-responder networks. In a 10-20 W average-power linear PA for these bands, the MRF8P20100HSR3's high gain and 65 V drain breakdown give a comfortable safety margin against load VSWR mismatches at the antenna port. The 28 V bias simplifies the supply design compared to 50 V GaN alternatives, reducing DC-DC converter cost and complexity.
Recommended
Industrial / Scientific RF Heating Amplifier
Beyond telecom, the MRF8P20100HSR3 finds use as a CW or pulsed high-power source in industrial RF heating, plasma generation, and laboratory EMC test amplifiers at 1.8-2.0 GHz. Its 100 W CW capability in the NI-780S-4L ceramic package, combined with 65 V drain rating, supports long-pulse or CW operation in a 50-ohm matched fixture. Designers should bias conservatively (300-400 mA IDQ) and use a directional coupler + circulator to protect the device from reflected power into an unstable plasma load.
Recommended
Driver Stage for Higher-Power Doherty Amplifier
In a Doherty final-stage amplifier where the carrier and peaking devices each handle 100 W peaks, the MRF8P20100HSR3 serves as a high-gain driver running 5-15 W average output into the carrier-stage input. Its 16 dB gain lets a single MRF8P20100HSR3 drive two parallel MRF8P20140WHSR3 final-stage devices, simplifying the RF chain and reducing the number of MMIC driver stages. Bias is set to Class AB at 400 mA IDQ for the linear region needed in Doherty operation.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MRF8P20100HSR3 — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MRF8P20100HR3 | MRF8P20140WHSR3 | MRF8P20100HSR3,128 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | NI-780S-4L (Case 465H-02) | NI-780-4 (Case 465M-01) | NI-780S-4L (Case 465H-02) - same | NI-780S-4L (Case 465H-02) - same |
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| P3dB Output Power | 100 W | 100 W | 140 W | 100 W |
| Average Output (W-CDMA) | 20 W | 20 W | 28 W | 20 W |
| Power Gain (typ) | 16 dB | 16 dB | 15.5 dB | 16 dB |
| Test Voltage | 28 V | 28 V | 28 V | 28 V |
| Test Frequency | 2.03 GHz | 2.03 GHz | 2.14 GHz | 2.03 GHz |
| Drain-Source Voltage Max | 65 V | 65 V | 65 V | 65 V |
| Quiescent Current (IDQ) | 400 mA | 400 mA | 450 mA | 400 mA |
Key Differentiators
- Industry-standard 100 W W-CDMA final PA at 1.8-2.0 GHz (vs MRF8P20140WHSR3)
- Internally matched 50-ohm input (vs MRF8P20100HR3)
- Mature, long-life-cycle NXP product (vs Generic 1.8-2.0 GHz LDMOS cross-brand parts)
Design Notes
The MRF8P20100HSR3 dissipates up to 70 W of waste heat at 100 W P3dB CW, so the ceramic NI-780S-4L flange must be bolted to a copper or aluminum heat spreader with thermal compound (e.g. Wakefield-Vette 120-2 or Shin-Etsu G751). Estimated: junction-to-case thermal resistance is approximately 0.4 C/W per the NI-780S family, so a 50 C junction rise at full CW requires a heatsink-to-ambient resistance below 0.3 C/W. For continuous W-CDMA service at 20 W average, expect 10-15 W dissipation and plan for 0.5 C/W system thermal resistance. Do not use FR-4 PCB material under the flange - it will delaminate.
Use a minimum 1.6 mm Rogers RO4350B or RO4003C substrate for the input/output matching networks to maintain low insertion loss at 2 GHz. Keep the gate bias feed trace away from the drain trace and use a quarter-wave stub bias choke on the drain line. Mount the device with the RF input lead closest to the input matching network and the drain leads closest to the output combiner - reversed mounting will degrade gain and stability. NXP reference designs use a grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) structure with via fences along both sides of the RF traces.
Do not operate the MRF8P20100HSR3 without a properly sequenced gate bias - applying 28 V to the drain before the gate is biased to -2V (then ramped to +3V for 400 mA IDQ) can damage the device. Always include a gate clamp circuit to protect against overdrive from the driver stage. The device is sensitive to load VSWR > 3:1; include an isolator or circulator at the output, especially in Doherty amplifier designs where peaking transistor mismatch can present a reactive load to the carrier device. Do not bias above 500 mA IDQ without re-evaluating thermal margins.
The NI-780S-4L flange is the main thermal and electrical (source) path - apply uniform mounting torque (typically 8-10 kgf-cm for the M3 screws) to avoid cracking the ceramic. Use a star-ground pattern converging at the source flange rather than a daisy-chained ground loop, which can introduce feedback and oscillation. Place gate and drain bias feedthrough capacitors within 5 mm of the package leads to suppress low-frequency gain peaking. For multi-device PAs (Doherty, push-pull), maintain phase-matched trace lengths between carrier and peaking device inputs to within 0.5 mm at 2 GHz.
Compliance Information
RoHS compliant per NXP product page. Not AEC-Q100 qualified - this part targets telecom base-station infrastructure, not automotive. REACH compliance published by NXP. Halogen-free status not explicitly confirmed for the NI-780S-4L ceramic package.
