Design methodology of high efficiency continuous mode transfer power amplifiers with one octave bandwidth

This paper discusses a methodology for design of broadband power amplifiers (PA's). In comparison to conventional class-F and inverse class-F modes, the continuous mode provides wider design space for the realization of broadband efficiency PAs through the proper termination of fundamental, second and third harmonic impedances. This manuscript presents an approach based on in-band mode transfer between continuous inverse class-F and continuous class-F to allow for the realization of high efficiency PAs with upto one octave bandwidth. The validation of this mode transfer concept is performed using a 10-W Gallium Nitride (GaN) device. The PA, which was designed in Advanced Design Systems, exhibited a drain efficiency of greater than 60%, a power gain higher than 13 dB, and an output power of more than 10W over the frequency band ranging from 460 to 920 MHz, which corresponds to one octave bandwidth or 67% of fractional bandwidth.