Broadband RF Power Amplifier Design Methodology Using Sequential Harmonic Characterization

Radio Frequency Power Amplifier (RFPA) amplifies the communication signals to the required power level for transmission. It is the most power consuming stage in a transceiver chain; consequently, any improvement in terms of dissipated power and efficiency of the power amplifier affects the overall power budget of the transmitter. Also, efficient performance of the RF power amplifier over extended ranges of frequency is one of the most challenging areas in implementing multi-band transmitter systems. In this thesis, a design methodology for multi-octave RF power amplifiers is presented based on the proposed sequential harmonic characterization. Compared to the conventional method, a more optimal performance is achieved using the proposed technique. To validate the proposed method, a broadband multi-octave power amplifier prototype was designed and fabricated using a Cree GaN HEMT device that exhibits drain efficiency of 53% 64% across 0.7 – 4.0 GHz corresponding to the fractional bandwidth of 140%.