Highly reliable 10-W X/Ku-band pHEMT monolithic microwave integrated circuit power amplifier

摘要

In this study, a reliable 10 W high-power amplifier (HPA) is presented along with its design procedure. Implemented on a 0.25-μm InGaAs/AlGaAs/GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) process, the designed HPA achieves power added efficiency (PAE) of more than 33% across the 7.8-12.8 GHz band. The proposed two-stage PA provides 15 dB large signal gain with an average small-signal gain of 18 dB. Peak results are achieved at 12.2 GHz with 40.8 dBm output power and 44% PAE. The reliability of the designed HPA is studied in detail along with a thorough discussion of related concerns.