Frequency-agile packaged GaN-HEMT using MIM thickfilm BST varactors

Preis, Sebastian; Wiens, Alex; Wolff, Nikolai; Jakoby, Rolf; Heinrich, W.; Bengtsson, Olof

doi:10.1109/eumc.2015.7346007

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Ferroelectric materials such as barium strontium titanate (BST) have an E-field dependent permittivity and can be used for tunable microwave components. BST offers high linearity and power handling capability [30], [31] and is therefore a prime candidate for high-power applications such as RF power amplifiers. Furthermore, the continuous tuning [32] and low response time in the millisecond domain enables fast tuning of the PA stage which is necessary for frequency hopping.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concept for Continuously Tunable Output Filters for Digital Transmitter Architectures

et al. 2019

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This paper presents a novel output filter approach for continuously frequency-tunable digital power amplifiers, suitable for future seamless and band-less applications in 5G, e.g. for cognitive radios (CR). The presented tunable output filter is based on a multi-bandstop lowpass response to regenerate the original microwave signal at the output of the digital amplifier stage by suppressing unwanted frequency components. Compared to conventional tunable bandpass solutions, it offers higher tunability, higher linearity, good power handling capability and moderate losses especially around the carrier frequency. A tunable power amplifier (PA) demonstrator consisting of a 4-stage digital GaN PA MMIC and the novel tunable filter, is designed and fabricated for a carrier frequency range from 1 GHz to 3 GHz. Tunability is achieved by using commercial barium strontium titanate (BST) varactors. Small signal measurements were performed to evaluate tunability and suppression capabilities of the novel filter structure, which reveal a frequency tunability of 67 % with a suppression level of at least 13 dB for the undesired frequency components. The proposed filter structure exhibits a linearity over the tuning range with an OIP3 between 66 dBm to 70 dBm and high power handling capability. Finally, the performance analysis of the tunable PA demonstrator shows an peak efficiency of 70 %. Due to frequency limitations of the used PA stage, the efficiency slowly degrades to 20 % at the upper frequency band edge. Simultaneously, the output power varies between 27 dBm to 31 dBm.INDEX TERMS Tunable circuits and devices, microwave power amplifiers, digital amplifiers, GaN, tunable filters, BST.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concept for Continuously Tunable Output Filters for Digital Transmitter Architectures

et al. 2019

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“…For saturation power level simulation and measurement agree with 12 percentage points of variation over the 2D tuning space. The reduced efficiency and output power compared with [8] are probably caused by saturation effects which increase the insertion loss of the varactors. The additional degree of freedom in impedance variation comes with an insertion loss of about 0.4 dB [6] of the serial mounted varactor.…”

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confidence: 99%

Reconfigurable package integrated 20 W RF power GaN HEMT with discrete thick‐film MIM BST varactors

et al. 2016

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A novel package integrated solution for gallium nitride high‐electron‐mobility transistors with an electronically two‐dimensional reconfigurable L‐section matching network is presented. Thick‐film barium‐strontium‐titanate (BST) varactors are used to realise a tunability of the load impedance of 1:2 in resistive and 1:1.5 in reactive parts, respectively, applying tuning voltages of up to 200 V. The tuneable module achieves a peak output power of 43.2 dBm (20.9 W). Comparison with simulated results using field simulations and a large‐signal model shows good agreement in terms of output power and power added efficiency and thus proves the concept of using metal–insulator–metal BST varactors for reconfigurability.

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Frequency-agile packaged GaN-HEMT using MIM thickfilm BST varactors

Cited by 2 publications

References 9 publications

Concept for Continuously Tunable Output Filters for Digital Transmitter Architectures

Concept for Continuously Tunable Output Filters for Digital Transmitter Architectures

Reconfigurable package integrated 20 W RF power GaN HEMT with discrete thick‐film MIM BST varactors

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