Compact GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC Delivering Over 40 W for Ku-Band Applications
This paper presents the design and implementation of a high-power amplifier (HPA) using a 250-nm gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) process on a silicon carbide substrate. The HPA is engineered to optimize both output power and power density relative to chip size. The 1st...
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IEEE
2024-01-01
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| author | Yeongmin Jang Wonseok Choe Minchul Kim Youngwan Lee Jinho Jeong |
| author_facet | Yeongmin Jang Wonseok Choe Minchul Kim Youngwan Lee Jinho Jeong |
| author_sort | Yeongmin Jang |
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| description | This paper presents the design and implementation of a high-power amplifier (HPA) using a 250-nm gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) process on a silicon carbide substrate. The HPA is engineered to optimize both output power and power density relative to chip size. The 1st and 2nd drive stages utilize individual source via transistors (ISV TRs) for high gain and efficiency, while the output stage employs outside source via transistors (OSV TRs) to achieve high power density. The output matching network is initially designed for a unit TR with a high impedance transformation ratio of 114 and then expanded to a 16-way binary power combining circuit. RC stabilizers with shunt inductors are tailored in the input and interstage matching networks to address the very low input impedance of the drive stage TRs. These stabilizers effectively increase the input impedance of the TRs. The bias circuit is designed with a DC bus-bar structure, enhancing flexibility for large-scale power combining. The fabricated HPA demonstrated a maximum small-signal gain of 26.3 dB at 16.2 GHz and a 3-dB bandwidth ranging from 15.1 to 17.7 GHz. It also achieved an output power of 46.1 dBm (40.7 W) under pulsed operation from 16.0 to 16.75 GHz with a drain voltage of 28 V. When the drain voltage was increased to 32 V, it reached a maximum output power of 63 W at 16.5 GHz, demonstrating an excellent power density of 2.03 W/mm2 per chip area. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6f1db79871ed4804a6439b7aeac19ee3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2169-3536 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
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| spelling | doaj-art-6f1db79871ed4804a6439b7aeac19ee32025-08-20T02:21:45ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362024-01-011218041518042110.1109/ACCESS.2024.350877910771749Compact GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC Delivering Over 40 W for Ku-Band ApplicationsYeongmin Jang0Wonseok Choe1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1407-3222Minchul Kim2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7155-042XYoungwan Lee3https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5145-8314Jinho Jeong4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2487-6958Deparment of Electronic Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, South KoreaMMII Laboratory, Seoul, South KoreaMMII Laboratory, Seoul, South KoreaSATCOM and MMIC Division, RFHIC Corporation, Anyang-si, Gyeonggj-do, South KoreaDeparment of Electronic Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, South KoreaThis paper presents the design and implementation of a high-power amplifier (HPA) using a 250-nm gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) process on a silicon carbide substrate. The HPA is engineered to optimize both output power and power density relative to chip size. The 1st and 2nd drive stages utilize individual source via transistors (ISV TRs) for high gain and efficiency, while the output stage employs outside source via transistors (OSV TRs) to achieve high power density. The output matching network is initially designed for a unit TR with a high impedance transformation ratio of 114 and then expanded to a 16-way binary power combining circuit. RC stabilizers with shunt inductors are tailored in the input and interstage matching networks to address the very low input impedance of the drive stage TRs. These stabilizers effectively increase the input impedance of the TRs. The bias circuit is designed with a DC bus-bar structure, enhancing flexibility for large-scale power combining. The fabricated HPA demonstrated a maximum small-signal gain of 26.3 dB at 16.2 GHz and a 3-dB bandwidth ranging from 15.1 to 17.7 GHz. It also achieved an output power of 46.1 dBm (40.7 W) under pulsed operation from 16.0 to 16.75 GHz with a drain voltage of 28 V. When the drain voltage was increased to 32 V, it reached a maximum output power of 63 W at 16.5 GHz, demonstrating an excellent power density of 2.03 W/mm2 per chip area.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10771749/GaN HEMToutput powerpower amplifierpower combiningpower density |
| spellingShingle | Yeongmin Jang Wonseok Choe Minchul Kim Youngwan Lee Jinho Jeong Compact GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC Delivering Over 40 W for Ku-Band Applications IEEE Access GaN HEMT output power power amplifier power combining power density |
| title | Compact GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC Delivering Over 40 W for Ku-Band Applications |
| title_full | Compact GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC Delivering Over 40 W for Ku-Band Applications |
| title_fullStr | Compact GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC Delivering Over 40 W for Ku-Band Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Compact GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC Delivering Over 40 W for Ku-Band Applications |
| title_short | Compact GaN HEMT Power Amplifier MMIC Delivering Over 40 W for Ku-Band Applications |
| title_sort | compact gan hemt power amplifier mmic delivering over 40 w for ku band applications |
| topic | GaN HEMT output power power amplifier power combining power density |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10771749/ |
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