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The benefit of GaN characteristics over LDMOS for linearity improvement using drain modulation in power amplifier system

  • Z. Yusoff
  • , M. Akmal
  • , V. Carrubba
  • , J. Lees
  • , J. Benedikt
  • , P. J. Tasker
  • , S. C. Cripps
  • Cardiff University

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper reports that significant linearity improvement can be obtained in gallium nitride (GaN) RF power amplifiers (RFPAs) in comparison to laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) RFPAs through the use of a modulated drain supply. It is shown that the gain characteristic of a GaN RFPA has significant variation with the drain bias voltage and this results in a 10-20dB reduction in intermodulation (IM) levels. The LDMOS RFPA was measured and the result showed that the gain of LDMOS did not change substantially with drain bias voltage. As a consequence, when the LDMOS RFPA is measured using modulated drain bias, the IM levels showed only a much smaller improvement. These results appear to indicate that GaN devices have an important advantage over LDMOS in linear RFPA applications.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2011 Workshop on Integrated Nonlinear Microwave and Millimetre-Wave Circuits, INMMiC 2011
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes
Event2011 Workshop on Integrated Nonlinear Microwave and Millimetre-Wave Circuits, INMMiC 2011 - Vienna, Austria
Duration: 18 Apr 201119 Apr 2011

Publication series

Name2011 Workshop on Integrated Nonlinear Microwave and Millimetre-Wave Circuits, INMMiC 2011

Conference

Conference2011 Workshop on Integrated Nonlinear Microwave and Millimetre-Wave Circuits, INMMiC 2011
Country/TerritoryAustria
CityVienna
Period18/04/1119/04/11

Keywords

  • Gallium nitride (GaN)
  • Intermodulation
  • Linearity
  • Power amplifiers

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