Design of 140–170 MHz class E power amplifier with parallel circuit on GaN HEMT

The class E power amplifier is a prominent switched-mode power amplifier. It is well known as being a high efficiency amplifier that provides a long operation time for mobile and nomadic devices powered by batteries. Moreover, it reduces the power dissipation of power transistor and cooling system requirement. The switching device that is used in the design is an important factor to provide maximum efficiency of the power amplifier. This paper introduces the design steps of a 140-170 MHz class E power amplifier with parallel load circuit using Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistor (GaN HEMT). The design methodology and simulation result are also provided. To match the output impedance of the load network with the output port with 50 Ohms reference impedance, the load-pull technique was utilized. The proposed design methodology provides a peak Power-Added Efficiency (PAE) of 81% with a power gain of 15 dB at an output power of 34.4 dBm. Considering the broadband performance, the power gain of 14 dB and PAE of 77.6% can be achieved.