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Abstract

This paper presents a very flexible and generic design of a diode-based RF predistortion linearizer that can correct for the dual-inflection point type compression characteristics found in the gain profile of metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) based and Doherty power amplifiers. It consists of a circuit configuration that has the head-tail configuration of Schottky diodes, complemented with a p-intrinsic-n (PIN) diode in parallel, at two ports of a 90° hybrid coupler for improving the performance of the linearizer. The use of a PIN diode in the linearizer provides it with an extra level of freedom in achieving the desired characteristic. Overall, the linearizer is equipped with three degrees of freedom and hence possesses the capability to achieve output characteristics that can be employed in linearizing various types of power amplifiers. The proposed linearizer has been shown to simultaneously improve the third- and fifth-order intermodulation distortions of a commercial ZHL-4240 gallium arsenide field effect transistor (GaAs FET) based power amplifier over a 10 dB power range.

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Dr. Mohammad S. Hashmi

Dr. Zaharia S. Rogojan

Dr. Fadhel M. Ghannouchi