Evolution of Monolithic Technology for Wireless Communications: GaN MMIC Power Amplifiers For Microwave Radios (original) (raw)
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GaN-Based RF Power Devices and Amplifiers
Proceedings of The IEEE, 2008
The rapid development of the RF power electronics requires the introduction of wide bandgap material due to its potential in high output power density, high operation voltage and high input impedance. GaN-based RF power devices have made substantial progresses in the last decade. This paper attempts to review the latest developments of the GaN HEMT technologies, including material growth, processing technologies, device epitaxial structures and MMIC designs, to achieve the state-of-the-art microwave and millimeter-wave performance. The reliability and manufacturing challenges are also discussed.
2010 Workshop on Integrated Nonlinear Microwave and Millimetre-Wave Circuits, INMMiC 2010 - Conference Proceedings, 2010
An MMIC GaN Doherty power amplifier is presented. This amplifier, optimized for C-band Microwave Radio links, is designed to reach the maximum efficiency at the output power back-off level where the data distribution function of the modulated input signal has its maximum. The design approach was carried out through a careful investigation of load pull measurements at the fundamental and second harmonic, in conjunction with an accurate active device model, thus leading to a robust design strategy. The designed PA shows, at 7 GHz, a maximum PAE of 35% at more than 7 dB of back-off from the maximum output power and the Doherty high efficiency region covers a 10 dB back-off range from saturation; the maximum output power is in excess of 37 dBm. The MMIC power amplifier has been fabricated at the GigaHertz Centre of Chalmers University, within a collaboration Politecnico di Torino-Ericsson Telecomunicazioni S.P.A.
Linear GaN MMIC Combined Power Amplifiers for 7-GHz Microwave Backhaul
IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 2014
This paper presents the design of two combined linear power amplifiers for 7 GHz microwave backhaul, realized in 0.25 µm GaN on SiC monolithic technology. Both modules are based on a combined class AB structure conceived for maximum back-off efficiency and reduced phase distortion, that are important requirements in backhaul systems. Different second harmonic loads are exploited in the two power amplifiers, leading to different performance in terms of output power, bandwidth and efficiency. The two stages exhibit a saturated output power in excess of 35 dBm and 36 dBm on 16% and 26% of fractional bandwidth, respectively; moreover, the measured average efficiency in the presence of modulated signals with 7.4 dB peak-to-average power ratio is 18% and 25%. Simulations and experimental results demonstrate that the second harmonic load has little influence on the linearity of the proposed amplifiers. Compliance with the spectrum emission mask defined for the targeted application has been achieved through low-order polynomial digital predistortion, thus demonstrating the high linearity of the stages. A comparison with a Doherty amplifier realized in same technology and for the same application shows that the two proposed stages need a simpler predistorter to achieve the linearity required by standard specifications.
Evaluation of GaN technology in Doherty power amplifier architectures
2010
In this contribution, the Doherty Power Amplifier (DPA) design concept is focused, discussing about different approaches to optimize its performance. For this purpose, the design, realization and measurement results of three prototypes working at 2.14GHz are presented. The first example is a Tuned Load DPA (TL-DPA) which shown an average drain efficiency of 40.7% with 3W of saturated output power in the obtained 6dB of OBO. The second DPA was designed implementing a Class F harmonic termination for the Main device allowing an improvement of roughly 15% in output power and efficiency levels with respect to the TL-DPA. The last DPA was realized using different bias voltages for the Main and Auxiliary amplifiers with the aim to increase the overall DPA gain.
Performance and applications of gallium-nitride monolithic microwave integrated circuits (GaN MMICs)
Microelectronics: Design, Technology, and Packaging III, 2007
The evolution of wide-bandgap semiconductor transistor technology is placed in historical context with other active device technologies. The relative rapidity of GaN transistor development is noted and is attributed to the great parallel activity in the lighting sector and the historical experience and business model from the III-V compound semiconductor sector. The physical performance expectations for wide-bandgap technologies such as Gallium-Nitride Field-Effect Transistors (GaN FETs) are reviewed. We present some device characteristics. Challenges met in characterising, and prospects for modeling GaN FETs are described. Reliability is identified as the final remaining hurdle facing would-be foundries. Evolutionary and unsurprising applications as well as novel and revolutionary applications are suggested. Novel applications include wholly monolithic switchmode power supplies, simplified tools for ablation and diathermy in tissue, and very wide dynamic range circuits for audio or low phase noise signal generation. We conclude that now is the time to embark on circuit design of MMICs in wide-bandgap technology. The potential for fabless design groups to capitalise upon design IP without strong geopraphic advantage is noted.
K-Band GaAs MMIC Doherty Power Amplifier for Microwave Radio With Optimized Driver
IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 2014
In this paper, a Doherty power amplifier for Kband point-to-point microwave radio, developed in TriQuint GaAs 0.15 µm PWR pHEMT monolithic technology, is presented. Highly efficient driver stages on both the main and auxiliary branches have been designed and optimized to boost gain with minimal impact on power added efficiency. The selected architecture enables a modular combination to reach higher power levels. Matching network structures have been designed, according to simple equivalent circuit approaches, to obtain the desired 10% fractional bandwidth. The fabricated power amplifier exhibits, at 24 GHz in continuous wave conditions, an output power of 30.9 dBm, with a power added efficiency of 38% at saturation and 20% at 6 dB of output power back-off, together with a gain of 12.5 dB. System level characterization at 24 GHz, in very demanding conditions, with 28 MHz channel, 7.5 dB peakto-average ratio modulated signal, showed full compliance with the standard emission mask, adopting a simple predistorter, with average output power of 23.5 dBm, and average efficiency above 14%. The measured performance favorably compare with other academic and commercial K-band power amplifiers for similar applications.
Design strategy of a 2.8–3.6 GHz 20W GaN Doherty power amplifier
2020
This paper presents the design of a 20W GaN Doherty Power Amplifier working in the range 2.8 GHz–3.6 GHz. The design strategy adopted for the design of the Doherty output combiner is discussed, which consists in embedding the device parasitics into the latter, implemented as a multi-stage quarter-wavelength transformer, in order to achieve wideband behaviour. The saturated output power ranges from 42dBm to 44 dBm, with a corresponding drain efficiency in excess of 47%. The efficiency at 6 dB of output back-off is higher than 42% over the whole frequency band, and the small-signal gain is higher than 10 dB. Due to the discrepancies of the measured scattering parameters compared to the simulated ones, which could not be corrected with post-tuning, a redesign of the prototype is ongoing.
IRJET- Design and Simulation of Ka/Q Dual-Band Doherty Power Amplifier using GaN pHEMT
IRJET, 2020
Modern communication system needs higher data rates and broad bandwidth with minimum power consumption. So novel wideband and energy efficient power amplifiers should be designed. Doherty Power Amplifiers (DPAs) are popular architectures for obtaining high efficiency for large range of output power levels. This paper is concerned with the design of dual band 3-Way Distributed DPA in millimeter-wave (mm-wave) spectrum using Gallium nitride pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (GaN pHEMT). The simulation of the work is carried out using Quite Universal Circuit Simulator (Qucs) and it shows that the power amplifier (PA) achieves a peak power added efficiency (PAE) of 30% and 47% at 26/38 GHz and gain of greater than 15 dB. Also output power of larger than 40 dBm is obtained for the defined band. These properties make this design a promising candidate for future fifth-generation (5G) application.