2021 IEEE Topical Conference on RF/Microwave Power Amplifiers for Radio and Wireless Applications (PAWR) | 2021
3.3-3.6 GHz Phase Exploited Doherty Power Amplifier with Parallel Load Combining Network
Abstract
This work presents a wideband extended efficiency range symmetric Doherty power amplifier (DPA) operating from 3.3 to 3.6 GHz. The presented DPA uses parallel combining to increase the bandwidth over a conventional DPA, and phase exploitation to extend the high efficiency back-off point beyond 6dB. A detailed performance analysis with respect to frequency is presented for the phase exploited symmetric DPA with parallel load combining (PE-PDPA). To validate the presented technique, a prototype is designed using GaN HEMT devices, and simulation results demonstrate that the PE-PDPA achieves 60%-77% efficiency at saturation and 43%-54% efficiency at 8 dB back-off over the 3.3-3.6GHz operating band. The PA maintains 10 dB gain and an average of 43 dBm saturated power over the entire frequency range.