A High-Efficiency GaAs MMIC Power Amplifier for Multi-Standard System

This letter presents a high-performance fully integrated GaAs MMIC power amplifier (PA) fabricated in 0.15
$\mu$
m pHEMT process. The MMIC PA is operating from 2–6.5 GHz, covering the band of the LTE, wifi and WiMAX. A flat small-signal gain of 25.5 dB is achieved by utilizing novel input matching networks. The large-signal measurement shows that the peak output power is above 31 dBm for the whole bandwidth with a power gain of 21 dB, while the corresponding power-added efficiency (PAE) is between 31.4%–51.5%. An adjacent channel leakage radio (ACLR) obtains
${-}30$
dBc at 25 dBm output power, tested with WCDMA and LTE signals, and reaches
${-}45$
dBc after digital pre-distortion (DPD). The circuit structure and design method are also suitable for GaN process to achieve higher power.