A 1.7–6.5-GHz 35-W Reactively Matched GaN Power Amplifier Using a Balance-Enhanced Power Distribution Network

Abstract

In this letter, a 1.7–6.5-GHz reactively matched power amplifier (RMPA) is designed using a 0.2- $\mu $ m gallium nitride (GaN) high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) process. To achieve an output power of more than 30 W, eight transistors are required in the power stage. The coupling effects and the asymmetry of the layout result in a significant imbalance among these transistors, which could deteriorate the performance of the power amplifier (PA). We propose a novel power distribution network (PDN) based on tightly coupled lines to mitigate the imbalance introduced by the compact interstage matching network (ISMN). The fabricated RMPA achieves an output power of 35 W and a PAE of 38%–50% under continuous-wave (CW) test.