A 6-18-GHz GaN High Power Amplifier with Excellent Gain Flatness

This paper presents a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) reactive matching power amplifier (RMPA) designed using a 150 nm AlGaN/GaN on SiC technology, showcasing its exceptional gain flatness of only 3dB across the 6-18 GHz band. The three-stage RMPA operates in pulsed mode with a pulse-width of 100-µsec and a duty cycle of 10%, delivering impressive performance metrics. It achieves a maximum output power of 43.5 dBm (equivalent to 22.4 watts) and a maximum efficiency of 25%, while maintaining a linear gain of 22 dB under a bias condition of 28 V drain voltage and 620 mA quiescent drain current. The MMIC PA has a small dimension of 4.5 mm × 4.05 mm.