Innovative Microwave Power

LCR-matched PA Design
Amplifier Consortium Center

Goal:
Bandwidth: 3:1 (3 10 GHz)
Gain ~ 10 dB
PAE > 20 %
Pout 8 Watt (2W/mm)

Approach & Improvement:

Input LCR lossy match Gain flatness

Low Q LC match Broadband
Corporate power combiner Broadband & power
Cds compensation Higher power
 Schematic of LCR-matched
Innovative Microwave Power Broadband GaN Power Amplifier
Amplifier Consortium Center
S11* Ropt
L-C-R 1mm
Corporate Power Corporate Power
match GaN
Divider HEMTs Combiner

Input LC Output LC
Match Match

Input LC Output LC
Match Match

Z1 Z2 Z3 Z4 Z5 Z6
In Out

Input LC Output LC
Match Match

Input LC Output LC
Match Match
Innovative Microwave Power
Broadband Matching I
Amplifier Consortium Center

Bandwidth > 3:1

(fHigh/fLow)

High Impedance Transformation Ratio

(4mm device size):

Input: 50 : 1 Distributed match

(50 / 1 ) LCR lossy match

Output: 7:1 Corporate power divider

(50 / 8 ) Multi-section LC match
 LCR
Innovative Microwave Power
Amplifier Consortium Center
Gain Compensation Network

The network eliminates gain peaks at low band

R also can be stabilizing resistor

L
Two-section LC network LCR-network
C R L L L

C Cgs C R

Equivalent of transmission line

Innovative Microwave Power
Broadband Matching II
Amplifier Consortium Center

Bandwidth > 3:1

(fHigh/fLow)

High Impedance Transformation Ratio

(4mm device size):

Input: 50 : 1 Distributed match

(50 / 1 ) LCR lossy match

Output: 7:1 Corporate power divider

(50 / 8 ) Multi-section LC match
 Single-section Lowpass LC
Innovative Microwave Power
Amplifier Consortium Center
Networks

RS L RS L

C RL C RL

RL > RS RS > RL

RS XS

-XP*
-XP*
-XP RL
RL* RL*
Innovative Microwave Power
Define Q of LC Networks
Amplifier Consortium Center

2
X R
X P* = 2 P L 2
X P + RL XS = XP*
2
* X P RL RS = RL*
RL = 2 2
X P + RL

RL
For RL > RS Q= 1 XS = L = RSQ, XP = 1/ C = RL/Q
RS

RS
For RS > RL Q= 1 XP = 1/ C = RS/Q, XS = L =RLQ.
RL
 Multi-section(Low-Q) LC
Innovative Microwave Power
Amplifier Consortium Center
Matching Networks

R1 R2 R3 RN

RS L L L L

C C C C RL

Rs < R1< R2< ...< RL

R1/ Rs= R2/ R1=...= RL/ RN

RL RL N1
Q= 1 Q = ( ) 1
RS RS

For Complex impedance,Reactance can be absorbed into LC networks

 LCR Matched 4mm
Innovative Microwave Power
Amplifier Consortium Center
GaN-based Power Amplifier
10

S-parameters (dB)
0 S21 S22
Gain : ~ 7dB, BW: 3 - 10 GHz
-10
Pout = 8. 5 W , PAE = 20% @ 8 GHz
-20 S11
12 mm -30
S12

LC&LCR matching
Input divider Output combiner -40
networks 2 4 6 8 10
Freq(GHz)
40 30
8
35 25
mm
30 20

(dBm)

PAE(%)
RF In 25 15
RF Out

out
P
20 10
Pout(dBm)

Flipped 15 PAE(%) 5
GaN HEMTs
10 0
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Freq(GHz)
Innovative Microwave Power
Power Sweep at 8 GHz
Amplifier Consortium Center

Pout = 8.5 W , PAE 20% @ 8 GHz

(Vd = 16 V, Id = 500 mA,
mA, class AB)

25
Pout
Pout (dBm)& Gain (dB)

40
20
30

PAE (%)
15
20 PAE
10
10 Gain
5
0
0
20 25 30 35
Pin(dBm)