Multi-Octave Performance of Single-Ended Microwave Solid-State Amplifiers

The computed performances of multi-stage single-ended GaAs MESFET amplifiers are compared when employing one and the same transistor type. The circuit principles studied are of the reflective match the Iossy match, the feedback, the distributed, and the active-match amplifier variety. It was found that the gain characteristics of the single-stage modules using either passive or active matching do not conclusively identify the optimum circuit type in the band of interest (2-18 GHz). For the case of multistage devices, however, the gain and the VSWR performance clearly favor the distributed amplifier principle. In addition to the data reported in the literature, the paper discusses recent experimental results obtained from a 3-17.5-GHz reflective match module, a two-stage 2-18-GHz and a four-stage 0.5-18.5-GHz feedback amplifier, as well as a two-stage 2-20-GHz and a four-stage 2-18-GHz distributed amplifier.

[1]  Y. Takayama,et al.  GaAs Fet Ultrabroad-Band Amplifiers for Gbit/s Data Rate Systems , 1981 .

[2]  R. L. Van Tuyl,et al.  A monolithic integrated 4-GHz amplifier , 1978 .

[3]  J. Lange.  Interdigitated Stripline Quadrature Hybrid (Correspondence) , 1969 .

[4]  W.O. Camp,et al.  2-6 GHz Monolithic Microwave Amplifier , 1983, 1983 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[5]  L. D. Reynolds,et al.  Monolithic GaAs travelling-wave amplifier , 1981 .

[6]  K. Kurokawa,et al.  A wide-band low noise L-band balanced transistor amplifier , 1965 .

[7]  K. B. Niclas,et al.  On Noise in Distributed Amplifiers at Microwave Frequencies , 1983 .

[8]  A.K. Gupta,et al.  A Monolithic GaAs 0.1 to 10 GHz Amplifier , 1981, 1981 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[9]  P. A. Terzian,et al.  Broad-Band GaAs Monolithic Amplifier Using Negative Feedback , 1982 .

[10]  H.M. Macksey,et al.  2-18 GHz, High-Efficiency, Medium-Power GaAs FET Amplifiers , 1981, 1981 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[11]  K. Honjo,et al.  Ultra-broad-band GaAs monolithic amplifier , 1981, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[12]  R.S. Pengelly,et al.  Broadband Monolithic Low-Noise Feedback Amplifiers , 1983, 1983 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[13]  R. B. Gold,et al.  The Matched Feedback Amplifier: Ultrawide-Band Microwave Amplification with GaAs MESFET's , 1980 .

[14]  T. R. Kritzer,et al.  On Theory and Performance of Solid-State Microwave Distributed Amplifiers , 1983 .

[15]  R. Van Tuyl,et al.  Monolithic GaAs direct-coupled amplifiers , 1981, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[16]  A.M. Pavio.  A Network Modeling and Design Method for a 2-18 GHz Feedback Amplifier , 1982, 1982 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[17]  L. D. Reynolds,et al.  2-20-GHz GaAs Traveling-Wave Power Amplifier , 1983 .

[18]  K. B. Niclas,et al.  On Design and Performance of Lossy Match GaAs MESFET Amplifiers , 1982 .

[19]  L. D. Reynolds,et al.  Monolithic 2-20 GHz GaAs travelling-wave amplifier , 1982 .

[20]  V. Pauker,et al.  Wideband High Gain Small Size Monolithic GaAs FET Amplifiers , 1983, 1983 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[21]  L. D. Reynolds,et al.  A Monolithic GaAs 1-13-GHz Traveling-Wave Amplifier , 1982 .

[22]  D. Estreich.  A wideband monolithic GaAs IC amplifier , 1982, 1982 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference. Digest of Technical Papers.

[23]  J. P. Shelton,et al.  Synthesis and Design of Wide-Band Equal-Ripple TEM Directional Couplers and Fixed Phase Shifters , 1966 .