Title :
Load-modulated GaN power amplifier implementing tunable thick film BST components
Author :
Arnous, Mhd Tareq ; Wiens, Andrew ; Preis, Sebastian ; Maune, Holger ; Bathich, Khaled ; Nikfalazar, Mohammad ; Jakoby, Rolf ; Boeck, Georg
Author_Institution :
Microwave Eng. Lab., Berlin Inst. of Technol., Berlin, Germany
Abstract :
In this work, a novel adaptive broadband power amplifier (PA) design based on barium-strontium-titanate (BST) components for dynamic load modulation (DLM) is presented. The designed PA, driven in class C, makes use of a commercial GaN HEMT, and is intended to operate over 1.8-2.2 GHz with maximum output power of 43 dBm together with high efficiency at maximum output power level. At back-off output power operation, the tunable BST-based output matching network introduces the optimum load impedance for high efficiency. The frequency and input power dependent impedance tunability is realized using a π-structure matching topology based on thick film BST varactors which have a very high breakdown voltage of higher than 500 V.
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; UHF power amplifiers; barium compounds; gallium compounds; high electron mobility transistors; strontium compounds; thick film devices; varactors; wide band gap semiconductors; wideband amplifiers; π-structure matching topology; BST; DLM; GaN; PA design; adaptive broadband power amplifier; back-off output power operation; commercial HEMT; dynamic load modulation; input power dependent impedance tunability; optimum load impedance; output matching network; thick film varactors; tunable thick film components; Broadband communication; Impedance; Power amplifiers; Power generation; Power measurement; Transistors; Voltage measurement; Adaptive matching; BST; GaN HEMT; broadband; dynamic load; efficiency enhancement; ferroelectrics; load modulation; power amplifer; tunable component;
Conference_Titel :
Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), 2013 European
Conference_Location :
Nuremberg
