A Broadband Continuous Class-FGaN MMIC PA Using Multi-Resonance Matching Network

Abstract

In this paper, we present a design technique for broadband harmonic-tuned monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers (PAs). A multi-resonance harmonic matching network is proposed for the continuous class -F mode operation, featuring low loss and compact chip area for integrated PA realization. A design procedure is developed for this network, considering low quality factor and electromigration current density limitation of on-chip inductors. A proof-of-concept GaN MMIC PA, implemented in a 0.25-$\mu$ m GaN-on-SiC technology, provides 33. 9-36.ldBm output power and 38-48% power-added efficiency (PAE) in the frequency band 4-6GHz. For a 64-QAM signal with 100 MHz modulation bandwidth and 8 dB peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), at 5 GHz, the average output power of 30.2 dBm and average PAE of 32% are achieved, while the error vector magnitude (EVM) is -32dB.