Improvement of a Class-C Transistor Power Amplifier by Second-Harmonic Tuning

Considerations for the effects of second-harmonic reactive terminations on the performances of a UHF class-C transistor power amplifier are presented. An experimental amplifier circuit design using coupled-TEM-bar transmission lines is described. This circuit can vary the fundamental and the second-harmonic impedance terminations of the amplifier independently. With this amplifier circuit, significant improvement in the performance characteristics of a class-C power amplifier were achieved by presenting proper values of second-harmonic reactive terminations, both at the input and the output of the transistor.