High efficiency S-Band vector power modulator design using GaN technology

The evolution of telecommunications systems, linked to a constantly increasing demand in terms of data rate and volume, leads to the development of systems offering very wide bandwidths, modulations with very high spectral efficiencies, increased power and frequency flexibilities in transmitters. Moreover, the implementation of such systems must be done with a permanent concern for energy saving, hence the recurring goal of the RF power amplification which is to combine the best efficiency, linearity and bandwidth. Conventional architectures of RF emitter front-ends consist in a first step in performing the frequency modulation-conversion operation (IQ Modulator) and then in a second step the DC-RF energy conversion operation (Power Amplifier), these two steps being usually managed independently. The aim of this thesis is to propose an alternative approach that consists in combining these two operations in only one function: a high efficiency vector power modulator. The core of the proposed system is based on a two-stage GaN HEMT circuit to obtain a variable power gainoperating at saturation. It is associated with a specific multi-level bias modulator also design using GaN technology. The fabricated device generates, at a frequency of 2.5 GHz, a 16QAM modulation (100Msymb/s) with 13W average power, 25W peak power, with an overall efficiency of 40% and 5% EVM.