Broadband microwave power amplifiers using lumped-element matching and distributed combining techniques

An improved approach is described where submicrometer gate-length devices are lumped-element matched and combined to achieve broadband 0.75-W and 1.5 W amplifiers that cover the 6.5-11 GHz frequency band. An improved mounting procedure was demonstrated where all the device source contacts are joined with a thick gold bridge and soldered to the device carrier. This technique has proven to be important in the flip-chip mounting of large-width GaAs FETs. Also all the microwave-circuit matching and combining was realized in a printed circuit format that has improved the reproducibility of discrete lumped elements.