Designing high power RF amplifiers: An analytic approach

An analytic approach to prototype RF Power Amplifiers is demonstrated at 3.5 GHz. The approach can predict not only matching impedances to high accuracy, but also the small signal gain and PldB in comparison to measurement. Moreover, the method allows a simple and direct route to correlate device and process technology to RF system performance currently unfeasible via TCAD modelling. The work is motivated by the objective to facilitate a higher efficiency, lower cost to prototyping, particularly where vendor models from some manufacturers are still under development.