High efficiency K-band amplifier for on-satellite wireless communication systems

A high efficiency amplifier has been developed for use in K-band communication systems. The 3-stage amplifier achieves an average gain of 28 dB over the frequency range of 17 to 21 GHz. Six volt operation of the amplifier attains 28 dBm of output power at 45% power added efficiency at 19.5 GHz. This is the highest power added efficiency reported to date for a high gain, 3-stage amplifier fabricated with standard production pHEMT processing. Additionally, the amplifier utilizes a highly compact layout using only 3 mm/sup 2/ of GaAs area, which minimizes chip cost in communication systems.