Loop Enhanced Passive Source- and Load-Pull Technique for High Reflection Factor Synthesis

An original source- and load-pull topology based on a passive technique is presented in this paper. The proposed system consists of passive tuners and loop structures. The use of a passive loop structure in cascade with a passive tuner allows for synthesis of reflection coefficients in the order of 0.97 magnitudes at the device under test's access plane. The measurement and characterization results of a 1W GaAs MESFET device show an improvement of 0.9 dB in the gain and 6% in the power-added efficiency when the proposed impedance synthesis techniques are used.

[1]  Fadhel M. Ghannouchi,et al.  Agile harmonic envelope load-pull system enabling reliable and rapid device characterization , 2010 .

[2]  Y. Takayama A New Load-Pull Characterization Method for Microwave Power Transistors , 1976 .

[3]  Eric Strid,et al.  Impedance Matching Probes for Wireless Applications , 1995, 46th ARFTG Conference Digest.

[4]  John F. Sevic A Sub 1 Ω Load-Pull Quarter-Wave Pre-Matching Network Based on a Two-Tier TRL Calibration , 1998, 52nd ARFTG Conference Digest.

[5]  Fachgebiet Hochfrequenztechnik,et al.  10 W Broadband Load-Pull for GaN/AlGaN Characterization , 2005 .

[6]  R.B. Stancliff,et al.  Harmonic Load-Pull , 1979, 1979 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[7]  Philippe Bouysse,et al.  A novel, accurate load-pull setup allowing the characterization of highly mismatched power transistors , 1994 .

[8]  M. Spirito,et al.  Active Harmonic Load–Pull for On-Wafer Out-of-Band Device Linearity Optimization , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[9]  Umberto Pisani,et al.  Active load technique for load-pull characterisation at microwave frequencies , 1982 .

[10]  P. J. Tasker,et al.  Electronic multi-harmonic load-pull system for experimentally driven power amplifier design optimization , 2009, 2009 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[11]  J.-E. Muller,et al.  Comparison of active versus passive on-wafer load-pull characterisation of microwave and mm-wave power devices , 1994, 1994 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (Cat. No.94CH3389-4).

[12]  F.M. Ghannouchi,et al.  New Time-Domain Voltage and Current Waveform Measurement Setup for Power Amplifier Characterization and Optimization , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[13]  Fadhel M. Ghannouchi,et al.  Multitone characterization and design of FET resistive mixers based on combined active source-pull/load-pull techniques , 1998 .

[14]  J.F. Sevic A sub 1 /spl Omega/ load-pull quarter-wave pre-matching network based on a two-tier TRL calibration , 1998, 52nd ARFTG Conference Digest. Automatic RF Techniques Group. Computer-Aided Design and Test for High-Speed Electronics (IEEE Cat. No.98EX245).

[15]  P. Colantonio,et al.  Harmonic load/source pull strategies for high efficiency PAs design , 2003, IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2003.

[16]  J. Lees,et al.  An Accurate Calibrate-Able Multiharmonic Active Load–Pull System Based on the Envelope Load–Pull Concept , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[17]  C. Roff,et al.  A new technique for decreasing the characterization time of passive load-pull tuners to maximize measurement throughput , 2008, 2008 72nd ARFTG Microwave Measurement Symposium.

[18]  Andrea Ferrero,et al.  Recent Advances in Real-Time Load-Pull Systems , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement.