Wideband GaAs MMIC driver power amplifiers for X and Ku bands

This paper presents two wideband GaAs MMIC driver power amplifiers (PAs) suitable for X and Ku bands. The required number of stages and number of branches in each stage for an M-stage driver PA architecture is analyzed. Design of wideband matching networks for monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) driver PAs is explained and design parameters of a cascaded K-section T matching network (MN) are derived. Finally, measurement results of 8-13 GHz and 13-19 GHz driver PAs, both implemented on 0.25 μm pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) technology, are demonstrated. Each driver PA delivers 31 dBm output power with 30 % nominal PAE over the operating frequency.