Integrated Power Converters for high
efficiency RF Systems
By:
Aaron Pereira
Supervisor:
Prof. Graham Town & Prof Neil Weste
Department of Electronic Engineering
Macquarie University, NSW, Australia.
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Outline
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Introduction
Background
Solution
Gallium Nitride Material & Devices
PA + High Efficiency Modulator
Triquint 0.25u process & circuits designed
Further Work
Questions
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Introduction
MQ University Department of Electronics:
ARC Linkage Grant
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Integrated Power converters for renewable energy systems
100MHz Envelope tracking system using GaN process for base station
applications
• Using Triquint existing 0.25u GaN process, to design a high frequency,
high efficiency modulator to be integrated into a Power Amplifier
(HEPA) module for base stations applications.
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Background
RF Power Efficiency
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Quest for Power, Linearity & Efficiency
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Power
Amplifier
RF-in
Antenna
RF-out
I
Actual Size
Edge Constellation:
3pi/8, rotated 8-PSK
VDD
Bias
Vout
Source
Output
Network
Rs
Vs
RL
Input
Network
Schematic of PA
Stauth, Sanders, "Power supply rejection for RF amplifiers," (RFIC) Symposium, June 2006
Popovic,Zoya, “High efficiency microwave PA with dynamic power supplies”, ECEN 5014, Spring 2009, University of Colorado, Boulder
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Amplifier Classes- A, AB,B, C, D,E,F
Conduction Angle, Efficiency
Niehenke,E, “GaN Power Amplifiers” Niehenke Consulting
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Non Linear PA
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Can’t do amplitude modulation
Linear PA’s
Can- but highly inefficient
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Stauth, Sanders, "Power supply rejection for RF amplifiers," (RFIC) Symposium, June 2006
Average Efficiency
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Solution?
Dynamic Power Supplies
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Solution- Research Objective
• HPA +Dynamic power supply MMIC
• Use Triquint Semiconductor 0.25u GaN Process to
fabricate a monolithic solution.
MMIC Photo : Courtesy if Stephen Diebold, Karlshue Institute of Technology
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Gallium Nitride – Materials & Devices
RF & Power Electronics
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Properties of GaN
Niehenke,E, “GaN Power Amplifiers” Niehenke Consulting
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Anomalous Behaviour - Traps
Development of virtual
gates wrecks havoc in
device performance
Ventury, R. “PhD Thesis defence”, UCSB.
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Traps affecting FET performance
RF Dispersion
Kink effects IDS v VDS
Shift in Threshold VTH
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ALBAHRANI,S.A , “ CHARACTERIZATION OF TRAPPING IN GALLIUM NITRIDE HEMTS”, PHD THESIS, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA 2011
Device EngineeringField Plates & Passivation
Niehenke,E, “GaN Power Amplifiers” Niehenke Consulting
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MQ- Arbitrary Pulsed Semiconductor Parameter
Analyser System (APSPA)
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Pulsed I-V Measurements
Understanding TQTX devices
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Pulsed I-V Measurement (Cont.)
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PA + High Efficiency Modulator
Design Options
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Technology
FCC regulations
Cost
Modulation Schemes
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Power Amplifier Biasing
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Amplifier – Load-lines
Switching PA as Power Converters
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Demonstration of Class E amplifier
Electrodeless Fluorescent Lamps
13.56 MHz Class E Amplifier
620V/ 1.4 A GaN HEMT – 90% at 9W Output
Power
Demonstration of Resonant Inverter Circuit for Electrodeless Fluorescent Lamps Using High Voltage GaN-HEMT Wataru Saito*, Tomokazu Domon**, Ichiro Omura*, Tomohiro
Nitta*, Yorito Kakiuchi*, Kunio Tsuda*** and Masakazu Yamaguchi* * Semiconductor Company, Toshiba Corp **Toshiba Business and Life Service ***R&D Center, Toshiba Corp
1 Komukai Toshiba-cho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki 212-8583, Japan Phone: +81-44-549-2603, FAX: +81-44-549-2883, e-mail: wataru3.saito@toshiba.co.jp
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DC-DC Converter Architecture
Using switching PAs
DC-DC Converter fabricated using FET’s
non-optimized for power conversion
Popovic,Zoya, “High efficiency microwave PA with dynamic power supplies”, ECEN 5014, Spring 2009, University of Colorado, Boulder
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PA and Modulator Integration Challenges
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Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSSR)
FCC has strict regulations
regarding this.
Selection of filters and switching
frequencies critical
Stauth, Sanders, "Power supply rejection for RF amplifiers," (RFIC) Symposium, June 2006
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Triquint 0.25u GaN Process &
Circuit Designs
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Circuits Design- Ring Oscillators, inverters, tuned amplifiers
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Circuits Designed-MMIC Layout
Ring Oscillators, Inverters, Tuned Amplifiers
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Further Work
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Switching PA’s E/F
Class AB PA (16 Weeks)
Filters for noise rejection (8 Weeks)
Integration (20-24 Weeks)
Thermal Issues (16 Weeks)
Testing (14 Weeks)
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Questions?
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