Broadband GaN HEMT push-pull microwave power amplifier

Author

Jong-Wook Lee ; Webb, K.J.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN, USA

Volume

11

Issue

9

fYear

2001

Firstpage

367

Lastpage

369

Abstract

We report a broadband, linear, push-pull amplifier that utilizes GaN-based HEMTs grown on SiC substrates. The high power density capabilities of these devices can be enhanced by the high efficiency achievable with push-pull operation. Good amplifier performance is facilitated by use of a new low-loss balun that is implemented with three symmetric coupled lines and which showed insertion loss of less than 0.5 dB per balun. The bias was injected through the baluns, thereby simplifying the amplifier design and reducing loss associated with dc decoupling capacitors. Using two 1.5 mm HEMTs with 0.35-μm gate length, a push-pull amplifier produced a small-signal gain of 8 dB at 5 GH2, a 3 dB bandwidth of 3.5-10.5 GHz, and a PAE of 25%.

Keywords

HEMT circuits; III-V semiconductors; baluns; differential amplifiers; gallium compounds; microwave power amplifiers; wide band gap semiconductors; wideband amplifiers; 0.35 micron; 0.5 dB; 25 percent; 3.5 to 10.5 GHz; 8 dB; DC decoupling capacitor; GaN; GaN HEMT; SiC; SiC substrate; balun; broadband linear push-pull microwave power amplifier; insertion loss; power density; power-added efficiency; small-signal gain; symmetric coupled lines; Broadband amplifiers; Gallium nitride; HEMTs; Impedance matching; Insertion loss; Microwave amplifiers; Microwave devices; Performance loss; Power amplifiers; Silicon carbide;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1531-1309

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/7260.950763

Filename

950763