High efficiency broadband power amplifier MMIC

Abstract

A GaAs broadband, dual-channel, high-efficiency power amplifier monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) is presented. The average performance for a single channel of the power amplifier was 18.0-dB small-signal gain, 16% power-added efficiency, and 2-dB compressed output power of 29.4 dBm from 6 to 18 GHz at 25 degrees C. The two channels combined off chip achieved 32-dBm average output power. This 0.5- mu m ion-implanted MESFET amplifier MMIC has been demonstrated in volume production with 154 wafer starts over three months, resulting in a 30% total yield through fixtured RF test.<>