High-efficiency performance is one of the most important requirements of power amplifiers (PAs) for wireless applications. However, the design of highly efficient CMOS PAs for watt-level applications is a challenging task. This dissertation focuses on the development of the design method for highly efficient CMOS PAs to overcome the fundamental difficulties presented by CMOS technology. In this dissertation, the design method and analysis for a high-power and highefficiency class-E CMOS PA with a fully integrated transformer have been presented. This work is the first effort to set up a comprehensive design methodology for a fully integrated class-E CMOS PA including effects of an integrated transformer, which is very crucial for watt-level power applications. In addition, to improve efficiency of cascode class-E CMOS PAs, a charging acceleration technique is developed. The method accelerates a charging speed to turn off the common-gate device in the off-state, thus reducing the power loss. To demonstrate the proposed cascode class-E PA, a prototype CMOS PA was implemented in a 0.18-μm CMOS process. Measurements show an improvement of approximately 6% in the power added efficiency. The proposed cascode class-E PA structure is suitable for the design of high-efficiency class-E PAs while it reduces the voltage stress across the device.

There have been many efforts to improve efficiency of transmitter while meeting stringent linearity requirement of modern communication system. Among the technology to enhance efficiency of linear transmitter, the out-phasing technologies, also called the linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC), is considered as a promising technology. LINC has been studied long times, since it provides excellent linearity with high efficiency by allowing adopt high efficient switch-mode power amplifiers. However, The LINC transmitter has some technical challenges: linearity degradation due to amplitude and phase mismatches, efficiency degradation due to poor combining efficiency, and narrow frequency bandwidth due to output matching network of switching power amplifier. In this thesis, some state-of-the-art techniques for solving the problems of LINC transmitters are presented. An unbalanced phase calibration technique compensates amplitude/phase mismatches between two parallel paths in the LINC system, and multi-level LINC (MLINC) and an uneven multi-level LINC (UMLINC) structure improve the overall power efficiency. And the reconfigurable Class-D switching PA enables multi-band operation with high efficiency and good linearity. With these techniques, the new multi-band out-phasing transmitter improves the efficiency without sacrificing the linearity performance.

<p>SiC MESFETs and GaN HEMTs have an enormous potential in high-power amplifiers at microwave frequencies due to their wide bandgap features of high electric breakdown field strength, high electron saturation velocity and high operating temperature. The high power density combined with the comparably high impedance attainable by these devices also offers new possibilities for wideband power microwave systems. In this thesis, Class C switching response of SiC MESFET in TCAD and two different generations of broadband power amplifiers have been designed, fabricated and characterized. Input and output matching networks and shunt feedback topology based on microstrip and lumped components have been designed, to increase the bandwidth and to improve the stability. The first amplifier is a single stage 26-watt using a SiC MESFET covering the frequency from 200-500 MHz is designed and fabricated. Typical results at 50 V drain bias for the whole band are, 22 dB power gain, 43 dBm output power, minimum power added efficiency at P 1dB is 47 % at 200 MHz and maximum 60 % at 500 MHz and the IMD3 level at 10 dB back-off from P 1dB is below ‑45 dBc. The results at 60 V drain bias at 500 MHz are, 24.9 dB power gain, 44.15 dBm output power (26 W) and 66 % PAE.</p><p>In the second phase, two power amplifiers at 0.7-1.8 GHz without feed back for SiC MESFET and with feedback for GaN HEMT are designed and fabricated (both these transistors were of 10 W). The measured maximum output power for the SiC amplifier at Vd = 48 V was 41.3 dBm (~13.7 W), with a PAE of 32 % and a power gain above 10 dB. At a drain bias of Vd= 66 V at 700 MHz the Pmax was 42.2 dBm (~16.6 W) with a PAE of 34.4 %. The measured results for GaN amplifier are; maximum output power at Vd = 48 V is 40 dBm (~10 W), with a PAE of 34 % and a power gain above 10 dB. The SiC amplifier gives better results than for GaN amplifier for the same 10 W transistor.</p><p>A comparison between the physical simulations and measured device characteristics has also been carried out. A novel and efficient way to extend the physical simulations to large signal high frequency domain was developed in our group, is further extended to study the class-C switching response of the devices. By the extended technique the switching losses, power density and PAE in the dynamics of the SiC MESFET transistor at four different frequencies of 500 MHz, 1, 2 and 3 GHz during large signal operation and the source of switching losses in the device structure was investigated. The results obtained at 500 MHz are, PAE of 78.3%, a power density of 2.5 W/mm with a switching loss of 0.69 W/mm. Typical results at 3 GHz are, PAE of 53.4 %, a power density of 1.7 W/mm with a switching loss of 1.52 W/mm.</p> / Report code: LIU-TEK-LIC-2008:32

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-149). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2009. / "Submitted to Department of Electronic Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-134)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-149).

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Σκοπός της διπλωματικής εργασία είναι η μελέτη και μοντελοποίηση ενός δορυφορικού καναλιού. Το δορυφορικό κανάλι, όπως κάθε κανάλι είναι ένα μη-γραμμικό σύστημα που χαρακτηρίζεται από ποικίλους και απρόβλεπτους παράγοντες που αλλοιώνουν την αρχική πληροφορία. Οι καιρικές συνθήκες που επικρατούν σε μια περιοχή για παράδειγμα επηρεάζουν το κανάλι προκαλώντας μεταβολή της ισχύος με τυχαίο τρόπο, γεγονός το οποίο δυσκολεύει την πρόβλεψη της συμπεριφοράς του. Για το λόγο αυτό έγινε προσπάθεια ανάπτυξης ενός δυναμικού μοντέλου που θα μπορεί να εξομοιώνει τη συμπεριφορά ενός τέτοιου καναλιού, δίνοντας τις πιθανές καταστάσεις στις οποίες μπορεί να βρεθεί. Συγκεκριμένα τα φαινόμενα τα οποία μελετήθηκαν είναι η εξασθένιση λόγω βροχής, η απορρόφηση από υγρασία και οξυγόνο και η τροποσφαιρική σκέδαση. Η κατασκευή του μοντέλου έγινε με τη χρήση και επεξεργασία μετεωρολογικών δεδομένων από την Ε.Μ.Υ. Επίσης, έγινε προσπάθεια μοντελοποίησης του ενισχυτή ισχύος (TWTA) ο οποίος συναντάται τόσο στο δορυφόρο όσο και κεντρικό σταθμό βάσης στη γη. / The objective of this project is the study and the modeling of a satellite channel. The satellite channel, as any satellite channel, is a non-linear system that is characterized by multiple and unpredictable factors that alter the initial information. The weather conditions that exist in an region affect the channel causing random power fluctuations and result in unpredictable performance. Thus, a dynamic model has been developed that simulates the performance of such a channel by predicting possible conditions that can arise. More specifically, the phenomena that have been studied is the rain attenuation, gaseous absorption and the tropospheric scintillation. The model was implemented through the use and analysis of meteorological data taken from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service. In addition, a high power amplifier (TWTA) that can be found both in the satellite and the central base station.

Power Amplifiers (PAs) are the key building blocks of the emerging wireless radios systems. They dominate the power consumption and sources of distortion, especially when driven with modulated signals. Several approaches have been devised to characterize the nonlinearity of a PA. Among these approaches, dynamic amplitude (AM/AM) and phase (AM/PM) distortion characteristics are widely used to characterize the PA nonlinearity and its effects on the output signal in power, frequency or time domains, when driven with realistic modulated signals. The inherent nonlinear behaviour of PAs generally yield output signals with an unacceptable quality, an undesirable level of out-of-band emission, high Error Vector Magnitudes (EVMs) and low Adjacent Channel Power Ratios (ACPRs), which usually fail to meet the established performance standards. Traditionally, PAs are forced to operate deeply in their back-off region, far from their power capacity, in order to pass the mandatory spectrum mask (ACPR requirement) and to achieve acceptable EVM. Despite its simplicity, this solution is increasingly discarded, as it leads to cost and power inefficient radios. Alternatively, several linearization techniques, such as feedback, feed-forward and predistortion, have been devised to tackle PA nonlinearity and, consequently, improve the achievable the linearity versus power efficiency trade-off. Among these linearization techniques, the Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) technique consists of incorporating an extra nonlinear function before the PA, in order to preprocess the input signal to the PA, so that the overall cascaded systems behave linearly. The overall linearity of the cascaded system (DPD plus PA) relies primarily on the ability of the DPD function to produce nonlinearities that are equal in magnitude and out-of-phase to those generated by the PA. Hence, a good understanding and accurate modeling of PA distortions is a crucial step in the construction of an adequate DPD function. This thesis explores DPD through techniques based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The choice of ANN as a modeling tool was motivated by its proven strength in modeling dynamic nonlinear systems. This thesis starts by providing a summary of the PA nonlinearity problem background, as well as an overview of the most well-known linearization techniques, with a special focus on DPD techniques. The thesis then discusses ANN structures and the learning parameters. Finally, a novel Two Hidden Layers ANN (2HLANN) model is suggested to predict the dynamic nonlinear behaviour of wideband PAs. An extensive validation of the 2HLANN model demonstrates its excellent modeling accuracy and linearization capability.

The continuous increase in wireless usage forces an immense pressure on wireless communication in terms of increased demand and spectrum scarcity. Service providers for communication services had no choice but to allocate new parts of the spectrum and present new communication standards that are more spectrally efficient. Communication is not only limited to mobile phones but recently attention has been given to intelligent transportation systems (ITS) where cars will be given a significant place in the communication network. Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network (VANET) is already assigned a slice of the spectrum at 5.9GHz using the IEEE802.11p standard also known as Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC); however, this assignment will have limited range and functionality at first, and users are expected to depend on existing wireless mobile channels for some services such as video streaming and car entertainment. Therefore, it is essential to integrate existing wireless mobile communication standards into the skeleton of ITS at launch and most probably permanently. An investigation was carried out regarding the existing communication standards including wireless local area networks (WLAN) and it was found that frequency bands from 400MHz up to 6GHz are being used in various regions around the world. It is also noted that current state of the art transceivers are composed of several transmitter front-ends targeting certain bands and standards. However, the more standards to be supported the more components to be added and the higher the cost not to mention the limited space in mobile devices. Multimode Multiband (MMMB) transmitters are therefore proposed as a potential solution to the existing redundancy in the number of front-end paths in modern transmitters. Broadband amplifiers are an essential part of any MMMB transmitter and they are also among the most challenging especially for high power requirements. This work explains why single ended topologies with efficiencies higher than 50% have a fundamental bandwidth limit such that the highest frequency of operation must be lower than twice the lowest frequency of operation. Hence, Push-Pull amplifier topology is being proposed as it was found that it has inherent broadband capabilities exceeding those of other topologies with comparable efficiency. The major advantage of Push-Pull power amplifiers is its capability of isolating the even harmonics present in the even mode operation of a Push-Pull amplifier from the less critical odd mode harmonics and the fundamental frequency. This separation between even and odd signals comes from the inclusion of a Balun at the output of push-pull amplifiers. Such separation makes it possible to operate amplifiers beyond the existing limit of single ended power amplifiers. To prove the concept, several Baluns were designed and tested and a comparison was made between different topologies in terms of balance, bandwidth and odd and even mode performances; moreover, to illustrate the concept a Push-Pull power amplifier design was implemented using the multilayer Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) technology with a bandwidth ratio of more than 100%.