Class DE Switch-Mode Power Amplifier Using GaN Power HEMTs: High-Efficiency Power Amplifier for 13.56 MHz

High-efficiency power amplifiers (PAs) are critical for various applications that require high power density, portability, and effortless thermal management. Historically, these types of PAs, operating in the tens-of-megahertz range in the industrial, scientific, and medical bands, were equipped for transmitters for fixed radiocommunication services, RF heating, and plasma ignition [1], [2]. Today, applications have expanded to wireless power transmission for biomedical devices and charging for consumer electronics and smart vehicles [3]. In this article, we present the first-place design for the Student Design Competition (SDC) High-Efficiency Power Amplifier for 13.56 MHz in the 2021 IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society International Microwave Symposium (IMS) in Atlanta, Georgia.