High Efficiency Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) Power Amplifiers For SATCOM

This proposal is presented in response to the SBIR solicitation number A04-128 entitled, "High Efficiency MMIC Power Amplifiers for SATCOM". This proposal calls for the development of narrowband high efficiency power amplifiers at 30 and 44 GHz. In particular the program goal is to improve amplifier PAE from 15-20% to 40-60%. This improvement is essential to reduce system cost and size by simplifying cooling requirements. The solicitation suggests as one possibility the use of ferroelectric capacitors as tuning networks to achieve the efficiency goal. This proposal presents an expanded list of all the factors that must be addressed to achieve the aggressive efficiency goal. These factors include the device characteristics, class of operation, MMIC passive element characteristics, fundamental and harmonic terminations, matching network topology and losses, drive ratio considerations, MMIC level thermal management and packaging considerations. Further, in communications applications it is also important to consider the modulation characteristics as average amplifier efficiency can be substantially improved by improving amplifier linearity. The Phase I effort will include process technology review and selection, device modeling and characterization, amplifier designs including consideration of factors listed above. The resulting designs will be fabricated and evaluated during the Phase II program.