Design of a PWM driven continuous mode class F amplifier using harmonic load pull measurements

This work outlines the design and construction of a continuous mode Class F amplifier using harmonic load pull measurements. To overcome the limits implied by the load pull setup a custom prematch was designed. With this design methodology an amplifier can be build without prior knowledge of the used device´s behavior. To design the prematch and the matching networks the Simplified Real Frequency Technique (SRFT) has been applied. By using a commercially available GaN 10W HEMT transistor (Cree CGH40010F), an amplifier was designed and constructed to achieve 12.5% relative bandwidth at a center frequency of 2.5 GHz. Over this band the amplifier achieves an efficiency (PAE) greater than 65% with an average gain of 11.8 dB.