A replaceable active block spatial power combining amplifier based on multi-branch waveguide coupler and microstrip E-plane dual-probe structure

Power amplifier is the key device of microwave transmitters. With the significant progress has been made in solid-state spatial power combining, the issue that power modules can potentially challenge vacuum electronics in some applications catches more and more scholars\´ attentions and becomes a research hotspot in resent years. To comply with the requirements power combining techniques especially spatial power combining come to front in all approaches. The various spatial power combing architectures that have been reported can be classified as either the "tray" approach or the "tile" approach. In either of tray or tile architectures, after MMIC assembled the structure cannot be adjusted easily. In this paper the authors separate active part from passive part, so in the design frequency band the active block can be replaced as demand. A K-band replaceable active block spatial power combining amplifier based on multi-branch waveguide coupler and microstrip dual-probe structure is designed following this architecture with two kinds of chips TGA4040 and TGA4022.