GaN Technology as the Key to Efficient Solutions for High-Performance Class F Power Amplifier

Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors have established themselves as a powerful alternative to Si-based Laterally-Diffused Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (LDMOS) transistors, particularly in high-frequency amplifiers. In this work, the use of GaN transistors in class F amplifiers at a frequency of 123.2 MHz and an output power of 100 W is investigated. The focus is on the optimization of the target impedances considering intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. A multiharmonics tuner was used to precisely adjust the impedances and contributed to the increase in performance. The results show that the amplifier achieves a maximum Power-Added Efficiency (PAE) of approximately 73.5 % with a compression of 3 dB. This work confirms the advantages of GaN transistors in high power applications and provides important insights for the further development of modern amplifier technologies in the VHF range.