A 4–18-GHz reconfigurable RF MEMS matching network for power amplifier applications

✍ Scribed by Tauno Vähä-Heikkilä; Gabriel M. Rebeiz

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 642 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1096-4290
• DOI: 10.1002/mmce.20021

✦ Synopsis

We have developed a novel reconfigurable matching network based on the loaded-line technique. The network is composed of N-switched capacitors (N ‫؍‬ 4 -8) with a capacitance ratio of 4 -5:1 and is suitable for power amplifiers at 4 -18 GHz, or as an impedance tuner for noise parameter and load-pull measurements at 10 -28 GHz. The networks are very small, and offer better performance than double or triple stub matching networks. Extensive loss analysis indicates that the 8-element network has a loss of 0.5 dB at 4 -12 GHz, and less than 1.5 dB at 18 GHz, even when matching a 10⍀ output impedance to a 50⍀ load. As expected, the 4-element matching network has about half the loss of the 8-element network, but with much less impedance coverage. Both networks were simulated and measured in high VSWR conditions and can handle at least 500 mW of RF power at 4 -18 GHz. The application areas are in phased array antennas, reconfigurable power amplifiers, and wideband noise-parameter and load-pull measurement systems.