An efficient, 35 dBm, inverse class-F, UHF RF power amplifier module on a 12 mm2 footprint designed in first pass through accurate modeling and simulation

This paper describes the design, simulation and experimental verification of an efficient, 35 dBm, RF power amplifier (PA) module, implemented in gallium arsenide heterojunction bipolar transistor semiconductor technology (GaAs HBT). The PA module, which includes all the power supply decoupling and matching components, occupies an area of only 12 mm² and achieves outstanding output power flatness (±0.125 dB) from 824 to 915 MHz and a power added efficiency (PAE) of 60%. The simulation methodology developed allowed for the accurate prediction and optimization of performance entirely through simulation, enabling first pass success both in die and laminate fabrication. The amplifier did not require any tuning or component adjustment to achieve full performance after automated fabrication, resulting in a significant decrease in development time.