5W highly linear GaN power amplifier with 3.4 GHz bandwidth

Abstract

In this paper, a 1 MHz to 3.4 GHz, 5 W, highly linear power amplifier based on GaN HEMT is reported. Load-pull technique has been applied to introduce a compromising solution for the PA performance trade-off problem. Over the whole bandwidth a measured small signal gain of 14 ± 0.7 dB and an output return loss of better than -10 dB have been achieved. The input return loss was better than -10 dB up to 3 GHz. Power and linearity performances have been measured and compared to simulations resulting in a very good agreement. At a frequency spacing of 100 kHz, minimum values of output IP3 and output IP2 have been evaluated and found to be 48.5 dBm and 59.3 dBm. At 1 dB power compression point, minimum P out and G P were found to be 37.3 dBm and 13.3 dB, respectively within the whole frequency band.

RLC Matched GaN HEMT Power Amplifier with 2 GHz Bandwidth

“…However power levels have been typically below 3W and the efficiencies reported are typically less than 25%. At higher power levels, hybrid resistive feedback amplifiers with packaged transistors have been reported for up to 3.4 GHz and 5W power level [11,12].…”

Optimization of Gallium nitride high power technology for commercial and military applications

“…These properties make GaN HEMT's ideally suited to broadband, high efficiency PA applications. Several approaches have been taken to implement broadband PAs using GaN HEMTs ranging from unmatched transistors with PCB level matching [7] to full MMIC PA's [8]. As an alternative, a multi-chip module approach is utilized consisting of GaN-on-SiC die packaged with GaAs integrated passive circuits (IPCs) [9].…”

Efficient technique for ultra broadband, linear power amplifier design

“…In the past articles, the authors [6-8] tried to achieve high power, broadband performance based on WBG technology either using a feedback network for improving stability and compensating for the gain at low frequencies [5] or to extend the broadband performance up to 3.4 GHz based on the GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) transistors [6]. Bandwidth could be again extended to 8 GHz in [7] using the same die transistor (not the package device as in [6]). The disadvantage of the design in [7] was the power loss because of harmonic truncation in matching network synthesis.…”

“…In [5,6], the transistor was selected based on WBG technology to cover the bandwidth up to 2.4 and 3.4 GHz, respectively. To extend the bandwidth up to 8 GHz to include other wireless communication systems and satellite applications, the suitable one among RF transistors in the market was a die from Cree, CGH60015D with an output power of 10 W for broadband applications with considerable gain up to 6 GHz.…”

“…Bandwidth could be again extended to 8 GHz in [7] using the same die transistor (not the package device as in [6]). The disadvantage of the design in [7] was the power loss because of harmonic truncation in matching network synthesis.…”