Nestor Javier Escalera

Ka-band, 30 watts solid state power amplifier

The development and performance of a state-of-the-art 20 Watts SSPA module at Ka-band is presented. Measured results show the module is capable of delivering a peak output power >30 Watts and 20% PAE at 31 GHz with a linear gain of 52 dB. As far as we know, this is the highest power Ka-band SSPA module reported in the literature. The module is well suited for use in portable satellite terminals or as a TWTA replacement. With some modification, the design can be used in aerospace applications.

Performance of GaAs on silicon power amplifier for wireless handset applications

Recently RF devices formed by the epitaxial growth of GaAs on a Si substrate have been demonstrated. The RF performance of these new devices compares well with devices on a conventional GaAs substrate process. This new GaAs-on-Si technology has the potential for replacing expensive RF components such as power amplifiers with lower cost devices fabricated on GaAs-on-Si while still maintaining good DC-RF performance. This paper presents the RF performance of these GaAs/STO/Si devices and shows for the first time their viability as power amplifiers in wireless handsets.