High-Efficiency Moderate-Power Amplifier Using Packaged GaN Transistor With Improved Average PAE and Gain for Batteryless IoT Applications

One of the fundamental problems in power amplifier (PA) design is the mismatch between the optimum loads for maximum output power and maximum efficiency. This work demonstrates that a GaN transistor of choice can reduce such mismatch when operating at the minimum input RF power required ( $P_{\text {in}}$ ) to obtain its maximum output power. Furthermore, this work investigates the average power-added efficiency (PAE) degradation caused by the baseband terminations for high-efficient switch-mode class-E PAs. Our results show that the average PAE degradation mechanism of class-E PAs is similar to that of class-B ones, but some class-E solutions are more susceptible to the driving signal’s bandwidth. To clarify that, two class-E PAs were implemented using commercial package GaN transistors based on two different modes from the continuum of class-E solutions. Despite being driven by half of $P_{\text {in}}$ typically employed by designers, the PAs have achieved a gain almost 3 dB higher than the state-of-the-art and excellent efficiency controlling only the second harmonic. Based on the obtained results, the proposed design strategy is believed to have a promising potential for developing high-efficiency simultaneous wireless information and power transmission (SWIPT) base stations for batteryless Internet of Things (IoT).