Doherty Power Amplifier Based on the Class-F Load

Network

Minwoo Cho1,1, Mincheol Seo1, Hyungchul Kim1, Inoh Jung1,

Hwiseob Lee1, Cheonseok Park1 and Youngoo Yang1

Sungkyunkwan University,
300 Cheoncheon-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 440-476 Korea
{hellocmw, starsorf, gudurial, junginoh11, hwisbi}@gmail.com,
{parkcs}@skku.edu
{youngooyang}@gmail.com

Abstract. This paper presents a Doherty amplifier with improved efficiency

based on the class-F load network for both carrier and peaking amplifiers. The
peaking amplifier is designed to have normal class-F operation with the 2nd and
3rd harmonic-tuned load network. For better linearity, the carrier amplifier has a
class-AB bias point and an identical class-F load network with the peaking
amplifier. The proposed Doherty amplifier was designed and implemented for
LTE applications at the 751 MHz band. For CW excitation, the implemented
amplifier has a gain of 16.5 dB and a PAE of 79.9 % at an output power of 42.2
dBm. For two-tone signal excitation, an IMD3 of -30 dBc was observed at an
output power of 37.4 dBm. Using an LTE signal based on 16-QAM, the
proposed power amplifier exhibited a PAE of 45.9 %, an ACLR of -31.4 dBc at
an offset of 5 MHz, and an EVM of 4.4 % at a back-off level of 9.96 dB.

Keywords: Doherty amplifier, class-F amplifier, harmonic-tuned load network,

long-term evolution (LTE).

1 Introduction

For wireless communication systems, power amplifier is the most important part for
determining efficiency of the system. Many techniques have been come out to
improve efficiency of the power amplifier. There are high-efficiency switching-mode
power amplifiers, such as class-D and E, and harmonic-controlled amplifiers, such
as class-F and inverse class-F [1]-[6]. Especially, class-F amplifier has very simple
structure and high-efficiency characteristics at high frequency region, so that it is
suitable for modern wireless communication systems [7], [8].

This research was suppoerted by Basic Science Research Program through the
Nationanl Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education
Science and Technology(NRF-2011-220-D00084).
The corresponding author.

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 In addition to efficiency at the peak signal, another very important aspect for the
power amplifier is its efficiency at low and mid power range because of high peak-to-
average power ratio (PAPR) of the signal. For high efficiency at low or mid power
level, Doherty amplifier and some bias modulation techniques, such as envelope
elimination and restoration (EER) and envelope tracking (ET), have been used [9]-
[15]. Among them, Doherty amplifier has comparably high efficiency and low
complexity to others.
In this paper, we adopt the class-F load network for both carrier and peaking
amplifiers in the Doherty amplifier. By applying a class-AB bias to the carrier
amplifier, the overall linearity is not degraded, while significant improvement in
efficiency can be observed due to the harmonic tuning using class-F load network.
The proposed Doherty amplifier was designed and implemented using Gallium-
Nitride high electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) for long term evolution (LTE)
applications at the 751 MHz band. Simulated and measured performances will be
provided.

2 Class-F amplifier design

/19 /16 /18

/12 /4 /8

Third Second
Harmonic Harmonic Fundamental
control control Matching

Fig. 1. Load network for the class-F power amplifier.

Fig. 1 shows the designed load network for the class-F amplifier. It has series
microstrip lines and microstrip stubs for harmonic control and fundamental matching.
For the 3rd harmonic control, it has a /19 series line and a /12 open stub. After that,
a /19 series line and a /4 short stub are used for the 2nd harmonic control. The /4
short stub is also used to supply a drain bias to the transistor. At the end, an additional
series line and an open stub are optimized for the fundamental frequency matching.
The designed power amplifier operates at the 751 MHz band and is based on Crees
CGH40010 which is 10 Watt GaN HEMT. Fig. 2 shows voltage and current
waveforms for the class-F amplifier. Fig. 3 shows the simulated and measured
performances of the class-F amplifier using a continuous wave (CW) signal that has a
frequency of 751 MHz. With a class-AB bias point (Idq=22.5 mA, Vgs=-2.9 V, and
Vgs=28 V) for carrier amplifier use, it exhibited a power gain of 20.1 dB and a high
power-added efficiency (PAE) of 77.4 % at an output power of 40.1 dBm.

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 2.4 60
Ids
Vds
1.8 48

1.2 36
Ids (mA)

Vds (V)
0.6 24

0.0 12

-0.6 0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
Time (nsec)
Fig. 2. Simulated voltage and current waveforms of the class-F power amplifier.

28 100
Class-F Gain Sim
Class-F Gain Exp
24 Class-F PAE Sim 80
Class-F PAE Exp

20 60
Gain (dB)

PAE (%)

16 40

12 20

8 0
20 24 28 32 36 40 44
Pout (dBm)
Fig. 3. Simulated and measured performances of the class-F power amplifier.

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3 Design and implementation of the Doherty power amplifier

Input Output
matching Carrier PA
matching 50 c

Hybrid 50 90
Pin coupler Offset
Class-F PA
lines
Pout
35.3 90

Input Output Output

matching Peaking PA
matching combiner
50 90 50 p
Delay compensation
lines

* Carrier PA = Class-AB biased Class-F PA

* Peaking PA = Class-F PA

Fig. 4. Schematic of the proposed Doherty power amplifier.

Fig. 4 is a schematic of the proposed Doherty power amplifier that has class-F load
networks for both carrier and peaking amplifiers. The carrier amplifier is used for 90
input split. The output signals from the carrier and peaking amplifiers are combined
through a /4 transmission line which also enables the amplifier to have a proper load
impedance modulation.
Fig. 5 shows a photograph of the implemented Doherty power amplifier for the 751
MHz LTE band. Overall size of the circuit is 191120 mm2. While the carrier
amplifier has a class AB bias, the peaking has a class-C bias point (Idq=0 mA, Vgs=-
4.3 V, and Vds=28 V) which allows later turn-on and high peak efficiency.
119 mm

Input Output
Macthing Macthing

Input Output

3rd 2nd Output

/4
120 mm

Input harmonic harmonic offset

line
Hybrid offset control control line
coupler line

Fig. 5. Simulated and measured performances of the class-F power amplifier.

Fig. 6 shows the measured performances for the CW and two-tone excitations. For a
751 MHz CW signal, the amplifier exhibited a high PAE of 79.9 % and a gain of 16.5

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dB at an output power of 42.2 dBm (see Fig. 6(a)). An average output power of 37.4
dBm was achieved for a 3rd-order intermodulation distortion (IMD3) of -30 dBc (see
Fig. 6(b)).
Fig. 7 and 8 show the measured results using an LTE signal based on 16-qudrature
amplitude modulation (16-QAM). A gain of 17.1 dB and a PAE of 45.9 % were
obtained at an average output power of 32.2 dBm which is a 9.96 dB back-off point
(see Fig. 7(a)). At the same back-off point, an adjacent channel leakage power ratio
(ACLR) at 5 MHz offset of -31.7 dBc and an error vector magnitude (EVM) of 4.4 %
were achieved. Fig. 8 shows the measured power spectral density (PSD) at an output
power of 32.2 dBm.

24 100
Class-F Doherty Gain Sim.
Class-F Doherty Gain Exp.
21 Class-F Doherty PAE Sim. 80
Class-F Doherty PAE Exp.

18 60
Gain (dB)

PAE (%)
15 40

12 20

9 0
15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Pout (dBm)
(a)

-9
Class-F Doherty IMD3 Low Sim.
Class-F Doherty IMD3 Low Exp.
-18 Class-F Doherty IMD3 High Sim.
Class-F Doherty IMD3 High Exp.
IMD3 (dBc)

-27

-36

-45

-54
15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Pout (dBm)
(b)
Fig. 6. Simulated and measured performances of the implemented Doherty power amplifier:
(a) gain and PAE, (b) IMD3.

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 20 100
Gain
PAE
18 80

16 60
Gain (dB)

PAE (%)
14 40

12 20

10 0
15 20 25 30 35 40
Pout (dBm)
(a)

-24 20
ACLR
EVM
-27 16
ACLR (dBc)

EVM (%)

-30 12

-33 8

-36 4

-39 0
15 20 25 30 35 40
Pout (dBm)
(b)
Fig. 7. Measured performances using a down-link LTE signal: (a) gain and PAE,
(b) ACLR and EVM.

20
 30

PSD (dBM/Hz) 20

10
-31.7 dBc -31.7 dBc
0

-10

-20 5MHz 5MHz

offset offset

-30
735 740 745 750 755 760 765
Frequency (MHz)

Fig. 8. Measured PSD using a down-link LTE signal.

4 Conclusions

In this paper, we proposed a Doherty power amplifier that has an improved efficiency
using the class-F load networks for the LTE applications at the 751 MHz band. Both
carrier and peaking amplifiers have the identical class-F load network, through they
have different bias levels which are class-AB and class-C points for the carrier and
peaking amplifiers, respectively.
The proposed circuit was implemented and evaluated using CW, two-tone, and
down-link LTE modulated signals. It exhibited a very high PAE of 45.9% with an
acceptable ACLR of -31.4 dBc at an average output power of 32.2 dBm which is a
9.96 dB back-off point. Based on out simulation and experimental results, this method
can be used to the power amplifiers for LTE base transceiver system or RF remote
heads.

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