IEICE Transactions on Electronics
Online ISSN : 1745-1353
Print ISSN : 0916-8524
Regular Section
A High-Efficiency Low-Distortion Cascode Power Amplifier Consisting of Independently Biased InGaP/GaAs HBTs
Yuki TAKAGIYoichiro TAKAYAMARyo ISHIKAWAKazuhiko HONJO
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2014 Volume E97.C Issue 1 Pages 58-64

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Abstract
A microwave power amplifier with independently biased InGaP/GaAs HBTs is proposed, and its superior performance is confirmed. Using harmonic balance simulation, the optimal bias conditions for an amplifier with two independently biased InGaP/GaAs HBTs were investigated with the aim of achieving high-efficiency low-distortion performance. A 1.9-GHz-band cascode power amplifier was designed and fabricated. Power efficiencies and third-order intermodulation distortions (IMD3) for the fabricated amplifier were estimated. The collector bias voltage of the first stage transistor mainly affects power-added efficiency (PAE). The base bias current of the first-stage HBT mainly affects IMD3 characteristics, and that of the second-stage HBT mainly affects PAE. The proposed amplifier shows superior performance when compared to a conventional cascode amplifier. The amplifier achieved a maximum PAE of 68.0% with an output power of 14.8dBm, and IMD3 better than -35dBc with a PAE of 25.1%, for a maximum output power of 10.25dBm at 1.9GHz. A PAE of more than 60% was achieved from 1.87 to 1.98GHz.
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© 2014 The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers
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