A high power and highly efficient multi-band power amplifier for mobile terminals

Compact 1.5GHz to 2.5GHz multi-band multi-mode power amplifier

“…The previously reported multi-band PAs [3,4] cover 9 bands from 0.7 GHz to 2.5 GHz based on reconfigurable matching networks (MNs) with switches. The tunable MN can change its matching condition by changing the state of the switches.…”

“…This study confines the covered frequency bands for the newly designed PA to 6 bands, i.e., 1.5, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.3, and 2.5 GHz, in order to minimize the size of the PA. The new PA prototype has a tunable MN configuration similar to that for the previously-reported 9-band PAs [3,4]. The prototype PA comprises 3 stages, as shown in Fig.…”

“…There have been reports on multi-band PAs [1,2]. A reconfigurable PA, which is integrated on a printed-circuit board (PCB) with the size of 35 x 110 mm 2 [3] or on a multi-layer low temperature co-fired ceramic substrate with the size of 25 x 25 mm 2 [4], has also been reported to provide 9-band operation from 0.7 GHz to 2.5 GHz. However, there still remains the possibility for additional downsizing of the reconfigurable PA because the size of the current commercially-available PA is 3 or 4 mm square for a single band, and 5 or 6 mm square for multi-bands [5,6].…”

Low-Loss Matching Network Design for Band-Switchable Multi-Band Power Amplifier

“…However, there are some issues that need to be addressed in applying MEMS switches to mobile terminals, such as cost reduction, ensuring long-term reliability, and reducing the operating voltage. From a more practical view, applying semiconductor switches instead of MEMS switches is attractive to not only solve the above-mentioned issues but also facilitate a high level of integration for the PA. A bandswitchable multi-band power amplifier (BS-MPA) employing GaAs FET switches was fabricated and tested [17], [18]. The fabricated BS-MPA achieves an adequate gain and an output power of over several watts in 9 bands from 0.7 to 2.5 GHz allocated to mobile communications all over the world.…”

“…However, since the equivalent resistance of the onstate FET switch is higher than that of the MEMS switch used in the previous studies, the power dissipation at the FET switch has a stronger influence on the performance of the PA than that from the MEMS switch. In [17] and [18], as shown in Fig. 1(b), some sections employed several switches instead of one switch in one section to reduce the current flowing through each on-state switch and the power dissipation at the FET switch.…”