A Watt-level Broadband Power Amplifier in GaAs HBT Process

A fully integrated Watt-level broadband power amplifier for 6.0 similar to 7.1 GHz applications in a 2-mu m GaAs HBT technology is presented in this paper. The power amplifier is implemented using paralleled sixteen transistors as main amplifier, to obtain high output power. In order to increase the bandwidth of the PA, two L-networks are adopted as the output matching network, and T-type matching network is used as input matching network. The broadband power amplifier has a small-signal gain of > 12 dB at 6.6 GHz, and saturation output power of 29.5 similar to 31.4 dBm (0.89 similar to 1.38 W) at 6.0 similar to 7.1 GHz with a maximum power added efficiency of 41.6% at 6.5 GHz. The power amplifier occupies 1.26 mm(2) (including pads).