A 2.8-W Q-Band High-Efficiency Power Amplifier

A highly efficient and high-power monolithic power amplifier operating at Q-band is presented utilizing 0.15-mum pseudomorphic InGaAs/GaAs HEMT production process on 2-mil-thick substrate. Over 42-46 GHz frequency range, the amplifier demonstrated maximum power of 2.8 W (34.5 dBm) and power-added efficiency (PAE) of 23% to 26% when operated at 5 V and 250 mA/mm. The amplifier attained maximum PAE of 24% to 29% and power of 33.6-34 dBm when biased at 5 V and 125 mA/mm. At these power levels and PAEs, the amplifier exhibited power densities in excess of 430 mW/mm. With device periphery ratio of 1:2.857, effective phase compensation of the input feed network, and low-loss output-combining network, the power amplifier has been able to attain state-of-the-art efficiency and power performance