Lumped-element load-network design for class-E power amplifiers

Author

Negra, Renato ; Bächtold, Werner

Author_Institution

Lab. for Electromagn. Fields & Microwave Electron., Swiss Fed. Inst. of Technol. Zurich

Volume

54

Issue

6

fYear

2006

fDate

6/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2684

Lastpage

2690

Abstract

This paper presents a design-oriented analysis of two lumped-element load-coupling topologies, which can be used to approximate class-E switching conditions. The presented output circuits are compared theoretically and experimentally with respect to harmonic termination and component values. Using a commercial BiCMOS process, two monolithic integrated class-E power amplifiers (PAs) have been designed and fabricated for operation at 5-6 GHz based on these load-coupling circuits. The PAs show an output power of over 19.7 dBm and power-added efficiency greater than 43.6% when operated from a 3-V supply. The results obtained with these first prototypes, operating at C-band, show the feasibility of the proposed lumped-element class-E networks

Keywords

BiCMOS integrated circuits; MMIC power amplifiers; lumped parameter networks; network topology; 3 V; 5 to 6 GHz; BiCMOS process; class-E power amplifiers; class-E switching conditions; harmonic termination; load-coupling circuits; lumped-element load-coupling topologies; lumped-element load-network design; output circuits; power added efficiency; Circuit topology; Coupling circuits; MMICs; Microwave amplifiers; Microwave integrated circuits; Monolithic integrated circuits; Network topology; OFDM; Power amplifiers; Switching circuits; BiCMOS integrated circuits; class E; high efficiency; monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers (PAs); switched-mode PAs;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TMTT.2006.874864

Filename

1643604