The FREIA laboratory is a Facility for REsearch Instrumentation and Acceleratior development at Uppsala University, Sweden, constructed recently to test and develop superconducting accelerating cavities and their high power RF sources. FREIA's activity target initially the European Spallation Source (ESS) requirements for testing spoke cavities and RF power stations, typically 400 kW per cavity. Different power stations will be installed at the FREIA laboratory. The first one is based on vacuum tubes and the second on a combination of solid state modules. In this context, we investigate different related aspects, such as power generation and power combination. For the characterization of solid state amplifier modules in pulsed mode, at ESS specifications, we implement a Hot Sparameter measurement set-up, allowing in addition the measurement of different parameters such as gain and efficiency. Two new solid state amplifier modules are designed, constructed and measured at 352 MHz, using commercially available LDMOS transistors. Preliminary results show a drain efficiency of 71 % at 1300 W pulsed output power. The effects of changing quiescent current (IDq) and drain voltage are investigated, aswell as the possibilities to combine several modules together.

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yes / This paper describes the characterization and design of energy efficient user terminal transceiver power amplifier. To reduce the design of bulky external circuitry, the load modulation technique is employed. The design core is based on the combination of Class B and Class C that includes quarter wavelength transformer at the output to perform the load modulation. The handset transceiver for this power amplifier is designed to operate over the frequency range of 3.4GHz to 3.6GHz mobile WiMAX band. The performances of the load modulation amplifier are compared with conventional Class B amplifier. The results of 30dBm output power and 53% power added efficiency are achieved.

Yes / The biggest challenge for future 4G systems is the need to limit the energy consumptions of battery-powered and base station devices, with the aim to prolong their operational time and avoid active cooling in the base station. The green wireless communications requires research in areas such as energy efficient RF front end, MAC protocol, networking, deployment, operation, and also the integration of base station with renewable power supply. In this paper, the design concept of energy efficient RF front end is considered in terms of RF power amplifiers at which it represents the workhorse of modern wireless communication systems and inherently nonlinear. The approach of output power back off is to amplify the signal at the linear region to avoid distortion, but this approach suffers from significant reduction in efficiency and power output. To boost the efficiency at wide range of output power and keep the same margin for signal with high crest factor, the load modulation technique with new offset line are employed to operate over the frequency range of 3.4GHz to 3.6GHz band. The performances of load modulation power amplifier are compared with balanced amplifier. The results of 42dBm output power and 62% power added efficiency are achieved.

Linearity and efficiency are both critical parameters for radio frequency transmitter applications. In theory, a Doherty amplifier is a linear amplifier that is significantly more efficient than comparable conventional linear amplifiers. It comprises two amplifiers, connected at their outputs by a quarter-wave transformer. The main amplifier is always on, while the peaking amplifier is off during low power levels. Load modulation of the main amplifier occurs when the peaking amplifier is on due to the quarter-wave transformer, ensuring the main amplifier never enters saturation. This results in an efficiency characteristic that increases with respect to input power at twice the normal rate at low power levels, and plateaus to a high value at high power levels. However, in much of the research that has been done to-date, less-than-ideal results have been achieved (although efficiency was better than a conventional amplifier). It was decided to investigate the cause of the discrepancy between theoretical and practical results, and devise a method to counteract the problem. It was discovered that the main cause of the discrepancy was non-ideal transistor gate-voltage to drain-current characteristics. The implementation of a gate bias control scheme based upon measured transistor transfer characteristics, and the desired main and peaking amplifier output currents, resulted in a robust method to ensure near-ideal results. A prototype amplifier was constructed to test the control scheme, and theoretical, simulated and measured results were well matched. The amplifier had a region of high efficiency in the high power levels (over 34% for the last 6 dB of input power), and the gain was nearly constant with respect to input power (between 4 and 5 dB over the dynamic range). Furthermore, it was decided to investigate the role harmonics play within the Doherty amplifier. A classical implementation shunts unwanted harmonics to ground within the main and peaking amplifiers. However, odd harmonics generated by the peaking amplifier can be used to operate the main amplifier like a class F amplifier. This means its supply voltage can be lowered, without the amplifier entering saturation, and the efficiency of the Doherty amplifier can be increased without a detrimental effect on the its linearity. A prototype amplifier was constructed to test this theory, and gave good results, with better efficiency than that of a conventional amplifier, and a constant gain with respect to input power (between 6.4 dB and 6.5 dB over the dynamic range).

Ces travaux de recherche concernent les amplificateurs RF de puissance pour stations de base. La technologie actuelle de transistor RF la plus compétitive, le LDMOS, est confrontée à l’augmentation constante du débit et à la concurrence d’autres technologies comme le HEMT GaN. Un autre challenge est l’intégration de l’adaptation de sortie réalisée en dehors du boîtier qui n’est plus compatible avec les futurs standards combinant jusqu’à soixante-quatre amplificateurs de puissance proches les uns des autres.Une première piste envisagée dans cette thèse est le substrat Si à haute résistivité. A partir de simulations puis de mesures sur plaques, l’amélioration du facteur de qualité des éléments passifs a été démontrée mais ces premières investigations ne permettent pas l’intégration de l’adaptation de sortie avec la technologie actuelle bien que les résultats soient très encourageants. Les challenges technologiques de ce nouveau substrat ont mené à considérer la structure différentielle pour les amplificateurs. En plus des avantages connus de cette configuration, nous avons montré que la conception d’un amplificateur de puissance différentiel montre une amélioration importante de la bande instantanée répondant au besoin d’un débit toujours plus élevé. Cette amélioration ne dégrade pas les autres performances en gain, rendement et puissance de sortie. Dans la continuité de cette thèse, les perspectives concernent la conception d’un amplificateur de puissance sur substrat SI à haute résistivité combinée à une structure différentielle qui pourrait permettre une avancée majeure sur toutes les performances tout en gardant l’avantage du faible coût du LDMOS Silicium en comparaison des autres substrats. / This research concerns the RF power amplifiers for base stations. The current most competitive technology of RF transistor, the LDMOS, faces the constantly increasing data rate and competition from other technologies such as GaN HEMT. Another challenge is the integration of the output matching made outside of the package which is not compatible with future standards combining up to sixty-four power amplifiers close to each other. A first track proposed in this thesis is the high resistivity Si substrate. From simulations and measurements on wafers, improved passive elements quality factor has been demonstrated but these initial investigations do not allow the integration of the output matching with the current technology, although the results are very encouraging. The technological challenges of this new substrate led to consider the differential structure for amplifiers. Besides to the known advantages of this configuration, we have shown that the design of a differential power amplifier shows a significant improvement in the instantaneous band width meeting the need for higher data rate. This improvement does not degrade other performance as gain, efficiency and output power. In continuation of this thesis, the perspective concerns the design of a power amplifier on a high resistivity Si substrate combined with a differential structure that could enable a major advance over all performance while keeping the advantage of low cost of LDMOS silicon compared to other substrates.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le domaine de l’amplification de puissance microonde linéaire et haut rendement en technologie GaN. Le premier chapitre décrit le contexte général de l’émission de signaux microondes de puissance pour les télécommunications sans fil, avec un focus particulier apporté sur l’amplificateur de puissance RF. Les différents critères de linéarité et d’efficacité énergétique sont introduits.Le second chapitre présente plus particulièrement la technologie GaN et le transistor de puissance comme brique de base pour l’amplification de puissance microonde. Une revue synthétique des différentes architectures relevées dans la littérature relative à l’amplification à haut rendement est faite.En troisième chapitre, le banc de mesure temporelle d’enveloppe développé et servant de support expérimental à cette étude est présenté. Les procédures d’étalonnage et de synchronisation sont décrites. En illustration, une nouvelle méthode de mesure du NPR large bande est présentée, et validée expérimentalement.Une solution d’amplification adaptative innovante est étudiée dans le quatrième chapitre, et constitue le cœur de ce mémoire. Celle-ci se base sur le contrôle dynamique de la polarisation de grille autour du point de pincement, au rythme de l’enveloppe de modulation. Un démonstrateur d’amplification 10W GaN en bande S (2.5GHz) est développé. Comparativement à la classe B fixe, une forte amélioration de la linéarité est obtenue, sans impact notable sur le rendement moyen de l’amplificateur RF. Finalement, une investigation de la technique proposée pour l’amélioration du rendement du modulateur dans l’architecture d’envelope tracking de drain est menée. / This work deals with linear and high efficiency microwave power amplification in GaN technology.The first chapter is dedicated to the general context of wireless telecommunication with a special emphasis on the RF power amplifier. The most representative figures of merit in terms of linearity and power efficiency are introduced.The second chapter deals more specifically with the GaN technology and GaN-based transistor for microwave power amplification. A description of the principal architectures found in the literature related to high efficiency and linear amplification is summarized.In the third chapter, the developed envelope time-domain test bench is presented. Time-synchronization and envelope calibration procedures are discussed. As an illustration, a new specific wideband NPR measurement is presented and experimentally validated.An innovative power amplifier architecture is presented in the fourth chapter. It is based on a specific dynamic gate biasing technique of the power amplifier biased close to the pinch-off point. A 10W GaN S-band demonstrator has been developed. Compared to fixed class-B conditions, a linearity improvement has been reported without any prohibitive efficiency degradation of the RF power amplifier. Finally, an investigation of the proposed technique for the efficiency improvement in the drain envelope tracking technique is proposed.

This master’s thesis describes RF power amplifier design. The designed amplifier has been built. The first three chapters outline basics about radio frequency amplifiers. The basic theory needed for amplifier implementation is also described there. In the fourth chapter the power amplifier is designed. The design is based on the theoretical knowledge. Complete amplifier contains RF preamplifier, power amplifier and filters. The OrCAD PSpice, Ansoft Designer SV and EAGLE programs have been used for the design and verification of some sections of circuits. Measurement results of the built amplifier are in the fifth chapter. This thesis contains also the draft for laboratory exercise.

This work deals with high-frequency power amplifiers. In the theoretical part are briefly summarized the general characteristics and properties of particular working classes of amplifiers focusing on their efficiency. The next section is aimed on design of high-frequency power amplifier for 1296MHz band and its individual components. In this part is desribed design of hybrid combiners - splitters, directional couplers of the coupled lines, amplifiers with RA18H1213G module and power amplifier with transistor BLV958. The work also includes the results of simulations of designed circuit, realization procedure and the measured parameters of manufactured components. In conclusion of this work the theoretical and measured values are compared.