Title :
A high performance RF power amplifier with protection against load mismatches
Author :
Scuderi, A. ; Carrara, F. ; Castorina, A. ; Palmisano, G.
Author_Institution :
STMicroelectronics, Catania, Italy
Abstract :
A high performance power amplifier is presented which includes a protection circuitry against load impedance variations. Load mismatches produce peak voltages on the power transistor collector that give rise to breakdown conditions and hence to permanent faults. The protection circuitry is based on a feedback loop that acts on the amplifier gain to limit the overdrive of the output transistor. A monolithic power amplifier for 1.8-GHz DCS-PCS applications was integrated in a silicon bipolar technology with a 4.3-V breakdown voltage. The amplifier delivers a 33-dBm output power with 51% power-added efficiency and 33-dB gain at a nominal 3-V supply voltage. Standing wave ratio was tested up to 20:1 for all phases with a supply voltage up to 3.8 V without damage to the device.
Keywords :
MMIC power amplifiers; UHF integrated circuits; UHF power amplifiers; bipolar MMIC; digital radio; feedback amplifiers; semiconductor device breakdown; 1.8 GHz; 3 V; 3.8 V; 33 dB; 4.3 V; 51 percent; DCS-PCS applications; RF power amplifier; amplifier gain; bipolar technology; breakdown conditions; breakdown voltage; feedback loop; load impedance variations; load mismatches; monolithic power amplifier; output power; peak voltages; power-added efficiency; protection circuitry; standing wave ratio; supply voltage; Breakdown voltage; Circuit faults; Feedback circuits; High power amplifiers; Impedance; Power amplifiers; Power transistors; Protection; Radio frequency; Radiofrequency amplifiers;
Conference_Titel :
Microwave Symposium Digest, 2003 IEEE MTT-S International
Conference_Location :
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7695-1
DOI :
10.1109/MWSYM.2003.1212468
