Title :
MEMS-switched class-A-to-E reconfigurable power amplifier
Author :
Bell, Patrick J. ; Popovic, Zoya ; Dyck, Christopher W.
Author_Institution :
Colorado Univ., Boulder, CO, USA
Abstract :
Reconfigurable microwave power amplifiers are essential components of multifunctional front-ends. This paper discusses the design and demonstration of a MEMS-reconfigurable power amplifier at 10 GHz that functions in either a linear class-A mode or a high-efficiency class-E mode. The measured performance is compared to non-reconfigurable class-A and -E amplifiers on the same substrate. The reconfigurable output network is designed such that the decrease in efficiency due to the additional output loss is no more than 5% when compared to a non-reconfigurable circuit. Both modes achieve 20 dBm output power, with 24% power-added efficiency and 26.6% drain efficiency at the 1 dB compression point in class-A mode, and 49% power-added efficiency and 58.3% drain efficiency in the class-E mode.
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; Schottky gate field effect transistors; gallium arsenide; microswitches; microwave field effect transistors; microwave power amplifiers; 10 GHz; 24 percent; 26.6 percent; 49 percent; 58.3 percent; GaAs; MEMS-switched power amplifier; MESFET; class-A power amplifier; class-E power amplifier; high-efficiency class-E mode; linear class-A mode; multifunctional front-ends; reconfigurable microwave power amplifiers; Chirp modulation; Gallium arsenide; Impedance measurement; MESFETs; Micromechanical devices; Microswitches; Power amplifiers; Power generation; Switches; Tuners;
Conference_Titel :
Radio and Wireless Symposium, 2006 IEEE
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-9412-7
DOI :
10.1109/RWS.2006.1615140
