A 52-to-86GHz V-/E-Band GaN Distributed Combined Power Amplifier with Output Power Beyond 1W and 34GHz Bandwidth

In this article, the challenges related to designing high-power and wide-bandwidth millimeter-wave (mm-wave) power amplifiers (PAs) are addressed by proposing a compact, scalable, distributed combined PA that leverages the advantages of a low-loss distributed matching network and the wide bandwidth of the distributed combiner. As an illustration, a three-way distributed combined PA incorporating high-performance power cells is demonstrated with a saturated output power (P(SAT)) of more than 30 dBm (1 W) covering 52-86 GHz in V-/E-band. The power cell, a three-stage two-way PA, is designed using a low-loss distributed matching network. Three of these power cells are combined using a compact distributed power combiner, resulting in a three-way distributed combined PA. The power cell exhibits an average output power (P(OUT)) of 29.5 dBm across the 52-86 GHz range, achieving a P(SAT) of 32.4 dBm and a peak PAE of 24.6% measured at 71GHz. Additionally, the distributed combined PA maintains an average P(OUT) of 33 dBm (2 W) within the above frequency range, with a P(SAT) of 35 dBm and a PAE of 15% measured at 69 GHz. To the authors' best knowledge, a PA showcasing a P(OUT) beyond 1 W and a 34 GHz bandwidth represents the highest reported performance across all technologies in V-/E-band.