GaN-on-Si transformer-coupled class D power amplifier

This work presents a transformer-coupled class D switched-mode power amplifier using GaN-on-Si. An aggressive time-domain compatible, scalable, Angelov device model is used to accurately predict transient switched-mode device behavior. Simulation and measurement results report the GaN power device´s intrinsic device efficiency to be 62% when operating as a switch at 2.25Gb/s. The 2-transistor PA topology demonstrates 29.5% efficiency at maximum power. When driven with a silicon-based sigma-delta RF modulator, the PA processes a single-carrier WCDMA waveform with -40.4dBc ACPR1.