Tunable microwave amplifier using a compact MEMS impedance matching network

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a reconfigurable RF amplifier based on compact tunable MEMS impedance matching network for low frequency applications. The amplifier uses a pHEMT transistor fabricated in GaAs technology while the MEMS circuits were fabricated using a dedicated RF MEMS process. The reconfigurable network is based on a slow-wave distributed MEMS transmission line (SW-DMTL) presenting a wide impedance coverage at low frequencies. The performance of the amplifier is controlled for frequencies from 3.5 to 9 GHz while the gain is kept around the maximum available stable gain. Moreover, the amplifier operates under various source impedance conditions.