Design of wideband high-efficiency power amplifier based on microstrip filter matching network with hybrid rings

Abstract

In this paper, the design of a wideband high-efficiency power amplifier (PA) based on a microstrip bandpass filter architecture with hybrid rings is presented. The hybrid ring-resonator filtering matching network employed is evolved from the conventional ring-resonator architecture by introducing perturbation branches with shunt open stubs, thereby achieving a wideband response. As a result, by combining it with the extended continuous Class-B/J (ECCB/J) mode, the bandwidth expansion and efficiency improvement of the PA are realized. For verification, a wideband PA-filter component is designed and fabricated using a commercially available 10W GaN device provided by MACOM. The test results indicate that a wideband high-efficiency PA is achieved from 0.5 to 3.3 GHz (fractional bandwidth = 147.4 %) with measured drain efficiency (DE) of 57.4–71.5 %, output power of 38–41.8 dBm, and gain of 8–11.8 dB.