Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
Advances in process technology have led to GaN depletion mode devices finding their way out of research
labs and into communications markets. In many microwave wave applications for example, the LDMOS
devices that have dominated power amplifier designs are giving way to GaN solutions, particularly the final
output stage where efficiency and linearity are key requirements. The high power density, high efficiency
capability of GaN makes it valuable for microwave applications, and the trend of GaN devices finding their
way into future communication systems is predicted to continue. As a result, there are incentives to develop
novel bias techniques that provide proper bias control and temperature compensation for depletion mode
devices. These techniques must be compatible with communication applications where stable operation into
high capacitance loads is necessary for the wide video bandwidths found in Doherty configured amplifiers
that carry 4G and LTE signals. As pHEMT devices are well established in numerous applications, the
approach is to develop universal techniques that work for any type of depletion mode device.
Concepts, practical circuit recommendations, measurement data and discussion are presented in the
following sections:
1.0 Design Requirements for Depletion Mode Device Biasing
2.0 Temperature Characteristics of TriQuint GaN Devices
3.0 Temperature Compensation Methodology
3.1 Temp Comp Made Easy
3.2 Temperature Compensation Techniques
4.0 Stability Considerations
5.0 Low-Cost Analog Temperature Compensation Technique
6.0 DAC Control
7.0 Practical Reference Designs
8.0 Lab Verification
9.0 Conclusions
10.0 Acknowledgements
- 1 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
Bias Tech
hniques forr GaN and
pH
HEMT Depletion Mode
e Devices
1.0
0 Depletion Mode Bias Design Req
quirements
Miccrowave
mplifier
(P
PA)
devic
ce
power
am
perrformance is
s typically ev
valuated for a given drain
quiiescent current. Rela
ated to the
e conduction
ang
gle, the gate voltage of
o the device
e is adjusted
unttil the des
sired quies
scent drain current is
i
ach
hieved. The
e majority of
o applicatio
ons require a
bia
as point somewhere between
b
line
ear Class A
ope
eration, wh
here full 360
3
degree conduction
occcurs, and th
he most efficient Class C operation
where only 180
0 degrees off the signal is
i conducted
d.
ost common in the PA world
w
is Class
s AB biasing
g,
Mo
where the trade-off betwee
en linearity and
a efficienc
cy
sable range. Class AB biasing
b
could
falls within a us
s light Class AB say fo
or example in
be classified as
e carrier am
mplifier of a Doherty cirrcuit. On the
the
oth
her end, de
eep Class AB
A
is employed for the
pea
aking ampliffier in a Doh
herty configu
uration or the
fina
al PA stage of a transmitter. Here the
t efficienc
cy
is p
paramount to
o linearity, so
s biasing the device at a
low
w quiescent current
c
as possible is ad
dvantageous
s.
Cla
ass C biasin
ng is employ
yed in a wide variety of
o
con
nstant enve
elope modu
ulation applications tha
at
use
e a single de
evice.
The
e first step towards
t
ada
aptive device
e bias is tha
at
the
e gate voltag
ge must be adjustable
a
to
o the desired
class of operattion. Given the populariity of moderrn
mbedded con
ntrollers in microwave
m
systems,
s
the
em
con
ntrol method
d of choice is the ubiq
quitous DAC
C.
- 2 of 19 -
www.triiquint.com
1.5
1.3
1.1
0.9
0.7
0.5
-40
-25
-10
20
35
50
65
80
95
110 125
Temperature (C)
- 3 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
-4.1
12.5 mA/mm
-2.6
10 mA/mm
-4.2
20 mA/mm
Vgq (V)
Vgq (V)
-2.7
-2.8
Unit 1
-2.9
-4.3
-4.4
Unit 2
Unit 3
-3.0
-4.5
-3.1
-40
-15
10
35
60
-4.6
85
-40
Temperature (C)
-15
10
35
60
85
Temperature (C)
(a)
(b)
-3.3
10 mA/mm
Vgq (V)
-3.4
-3.5
-3.6
-3.7
-3.8
-40
-20
20
40
60
80
Temperature (C)
(c)
Fig. 2. Gate voltage over temperature for GaN devices at constant current density. (a) 120W 32V
T1G4012032-FS, three devices at 12.5 mA/mm, (b) 30W 28V T1G6003028-FL, one device at 10 mA/mm
and one device at 20 mA/mm, and (c) the 55W 28V T1G4005528-FS, one device at 10 mA/mm.
Vgate
C
L
RF_IN
L
PA
RF_OUT
- 4 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
Closed Loop
Open Loop
achieved.
Open loop controllers cannot
compensate for long term drift of devices, a
phenomenon that has been observed in early
generations of semiconductor processes.
To
account for long term drift with an open loop driver,
designers can either ignore the drift or take
advantage of the fact that the majority of long term
drift occurs within the first hours of operation.
Devices are burned-in before final alignment, a
process suitable for limited volume production.
Digital closed loop techniques (Fig. 4) do not
require manual alignment or burn-in and can
compensate for long term drift. However material
costs are higher, the loops require development of
PID controller algorithms and the sensors need to
be stable over temperature. Complications arise
with closed loop techniques when the amplifier
must operate continuously, such as in cellular base
stations.
Information from RF power output
monitoring could be added into the equations for
the device drain current settings, or the RF
removed during periodic maintenance cycles. This
additional complexity is addressable only in the
digital domain. Large analog suppliers integrate
digital monitor and control functions into products
designed specifically for closed loop control of
multiple PA stages [1].
VDD
DIGITAL PID
EMBEDDED
CONTROLLER
CURRENT
MONITOR
ADC
DAC
GATE
DRIVER
L
RF_IN
Rsense
L
PA
RF_OUT
- 5 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
EMBEDDED
CONTROLLER
TEMP
SENSOR
+V
DAC
VDD
C
GATE
DRIVER
Set_Point
VDD
RF_IN
GATE
DRIVER
TEMP
SENSOR
PA
RF_OUT
RF_IN
(a)
PA
RF_OUT
(b)
EMBEDDED
CONTROLLER
ADC
DAC
TEMP
SENSOR
VDD
C
GATE
DRIVER
L
RF_IN
PA
RF_OUT
(c)
Fig. 5. Open Loop Bias Control Techniques. Gate driver controlled by (a) mechanical set-point
and temperature sensor, (b) DAC set-point and temperature sensor and (c) all digital control.
- 6 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
Fig. 6. Bode plot for op amp with and without capacitive loading CL [6]. The capacitor
loading adds a pole to the response. The pole quickly sends the phase to more than 180
degrees while the gain is still greater than 1, a sufficient condition for oscillation.
- 7 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
R_Iso
Vgate
C_LOAD
(a)
Voltage
Vi Regulator Vo
Vin
Vgate
Gnd
Rs
C_LOAD
-V
(b)
4R
R
Vgate
C_LOAD
(c)
Rfb
Cfb
Rs
Vgate
C_LOAD
(d)
Fig. 7. Stability techniques for driving capacitive loads.
(a) Isolation Resistor, (b) voltage regulator, (c) gain, and
(d) dual feedback loop.
- 8 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
R_Offset
DAC
+5V
R2
R_Bias
PNP
R3
R1
R_Slope
A1
A2
V_REF
V_TS
Vgate
0V
Fig. 8. Low cost temperature PNP sensor and ground referenced summing junction
forms temperature compensated gate driver. R1=R2, R3=R_Offset. R_Bias is adjusted to
set V_TS=0 at ambient temperature conditions. V_REF is set to the PNP Vbe voltage.
The PNP temperature sensor often requires a bypass capacitor to avoid RF interactions.
- 9 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
-3.0
-0.5
Rs=25 k
-0.6
Rs=50 k
-3.2
Rs=100 k
Rs=50 k
Rs=75 k
-0.7
-0.8
-0.9
Rs=200 k
-3.4
-3.6
-3.8
-1.0
-4.0
-55
-35
-15
25
45
65
85
105
125
-55
Temperature (C)
-35
-15
25
45
65
85
Temperature (C)
(a)
105
125
(b)
Fig. 9. Output voltage V_Gate over temperature for three values of R_Slope. (a) Voltage output at 0.75V for pHEMT
device, and (b) voltage output at 3.4V for a GaN HEMT device.
-3.40
-3.45
Constant IDQ Gate Voltage
Vgg (V)
-3.50
Gate Driver Voltage
-3.55
-3.60
-3.65
-3.70
-40
-15
10
35
Temperature (C)
60
85
Fig. 10. Gate driver voltage provides 1st Order (linear) approximation to the
required gate voltage for constant IDQ. T1G4005528-FS, IDQ=10mA/mm
- 10 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
R5
R4
DAC
R_Offset
A3
V_HS
+5V
R2
R_Bias
R3
R1
R_Slope
A1
PNP
Vgate
A2
V_REF
V_TS
0V
Fig. 11. Inverting the DAC around its half-scale voltage V_HS sets Vgate to 4V while DAC
initialization is completed. R4=R5, R_Offset=R3, V_TS=0V at ambient temperature conditions.
0
VGATE (V)
-1
R1
5V
DAC
Rs
R2
Vgate
-3
Cfb
V_REF
-2
-4
Ros
Rfb
Fig.12. DAC controlled gate driver (left) and gate voltage as a function of DAC voltage for V_REF=+4V,
R1=R2=10 k, Ros=Rfb=2 k, Rs=25, Cfb=330pF.
Eng. Rev. 3 07/24/14
2014 TriQuint
- 11 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
DAC
Q1
R2
22.0K
1%
R7
3.30K
1%
R9
3.30K
1%
+5V C1
0.1uF
8
U1C
4
+5V
3
R4
22.0K
1%
R3
22.0K
1%
+5V
R1
24.9K
1%
U1A
C3
330pF
R6
1.00K
1%
R8
10K
Q2A
U1B
R10
2.00
1%
C2
-V 0.1uF
Vgate
Q2B
R5
1.40K
1%
-V
Fig. 13. Universal depletion mode bias circuit using complementary bipolar output stage. Stable driving
capacitances in the uF range and capable of providing more than +/- 200 mA bi-polar current drive.
Table 1. BOM, Universal Bias Circuit, Depletion Mode; Bipolar Output Version
Ref. Des.
Value
Description
U1
Q1
Q2
C1, C2
C3
R1
R2, R3, R4
R5
R6
R7, R9
R8
R10
n/a
n/a
n/a
0.1 uF
330 pF
24.9 k
22.0 k
1.40 k
1.00 k
3.30 k
10 k
2.00
- 12 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
R7
3.30K
1%
DAC
R1
24.9K
1%
R2
22.0K
1%
R4
22.0K
1%
U1A
U1C
C3
330pF
+5V
Q1
+5V C1
0.1uF
8
R3
22.0K
1%
+5V
R9
3.30K
1%
R6
1.00K
1%
R8
10K
R5
1.40K
1%
U1B
R10
2.00
1%
C2
-V 0.1uF
Vgate
D1
BAT60A
Fig. 14. Universal low-cost depletion mode bias circuit. The dual loop topology around U1B maintains stability
when driving capacitive loads in the uF range. This approach is suitable for GaN biasing, and other applications
under +/-20mA gate current flow. For production R8 may be replaced with a chip resistor once the optimal value
is determined.
Table 2. BOM, Universal Bias Circuit, Depletion Mode; Op Amp Output Version
Ref. Des.
Value
Description
U1
Q1
D1
C1, C2
C3
R1
R2, R3, R4
R5
R6
R7, R9
R8
R10
n/a
n/a
n/a
0.1 uF
330 pF
24.9 k
22.0 k
1.40 k
1.00 k
3.30 k
10 k
2.00
- 13 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
Bias Tech
hniques forr GaN and
pH
HEMT Depletion Mode
e Devices
The
e circuits we
ere fabricated on a single PCB with a
com
mmon temperature sens
sor and a quad op amp
p.
Fig
gure 15(a) shows the bllock diagram
m of the bia
as
boa
ard and Fig. 15(b) is
s a photog
graph of the
com
mpleted as
ssembly.
Table 3 provides a
com
mparison off the two circuits.
c
Th
he capacitiv
ve
loa
ading provid
ded is a guideline de
etermined by
b
sim
mulating the
e overshoot and settlin
ng times fo
or
instantaneous step changes in load curren
nt
e maximum rating.
r
bettween zero load and the
+5V
DAC
DAC
Temp
Sensor
TS
-5V
1
Bipollar
Drive
er
2
3
4
DAC
TS
Op Am
mp
Drive
er
5
6
7
8
F
Fig. 15(b). Com
mpact bias bo
oard with both versions of
lo
ow-cost bias circuit.
c
Actual size is 1.25 x 1.325.
Ta
able 3. Bias
s Circuit Co
omparison
Circuit
Positive Current
C
(mA
A)
Bipolar
Op Amp
200
0
20
Negative
N
Current Max. Voltage
(mA)
(V)
200
20
M
Min. Voltage
e
(V)
Capacitive
Loa
ading
V + 2.3
V + 1.5
<1
10uF
< 1uF
- 14 of 19 -
www.triiquint.com
Bias Tech
hniques forr GaN and
pH
HEMT Depletion Mode
e Devices
8.0
0 Lab Verific
cation
Verification con
nsisted of demonstrating that the op
am
mp circuit in Fig. 14 did
d not degra
ade linear or
o
satturated perfformance compared
c
to
o gate bia
as
sup
pplied in the
e traditional manner fro
om laboratorry
sup
pplies. Two bias conditions were ev
valuated ove
er
tem
mperature, a fixed ga
ate voltage VG, and a
con
nstant drain quiescent current IDQ. A TriQuin
nt
T1G
G4012036-F
FS 120W second
s
generation GaN
N
RF
F power transistor served as the depletion mode
devvice. At +3
36V the 18 dB gain Ga
aN device is
i
cap
pable of ge
enerating 24
4W of line
ear power &
120
0W of peak power in pu
ulsed operatiion (Fig. 16).
(a)
20
80
2000 MHz,
M
100 us 20%
VDS=+3
36V. IDQ=360mA
The
e evaluation
n fixture wa
as designed to interfac
ce
dire
ectly with the
t
bias bo
oard. The temperaturre
sen
nsor is locatted just outs
side the mou
unting clamp
p,
app
proximately 1 cm from th
he GaN device as show
wn
in Fig. 17.
A photogrraph of the
e completed
aluation platform is show
wn in Fig. 18
8.
eva
70
18
60
17
50
16
40
15
30
14
20
ZS=1.64j2.89
ZL=2.80j0.19
13
Gain
Drain Eff.
E
PAE
10
12
0
36
Efficiency (%)
Gain (dB)
19
38
40
42
44
46
Pout (dBm
m)
48
50
0
52
(b)
Fig. 1 6. T1G401203
36-FS (a) devic
ce package an
nd (b) Gain,
wer in pulsed o
operation.
Drain Efficiency an d Output Pow
Fig. 1
18. Assemble
ed high power GaN evaluatio
on board
with b
bias controlle
er card.
- 15 of 19 -
www.triiquint.com
P3dB (dB)
51.6
51.4
51.2
51.0
Constant VG = 2.6981 V
IDQ = 0.315 to 0.765 A)
50.8
50.6
50.4
-30
-15
15
30
45
60
75
90
- 16 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
1.58
1.0
VD=+32 V
POUT=+40 dBm
0.9
1.56
1.54
1.52
Power Supply
Constant VG
1.50
1.48
1.46
Power Supply
Constant IDQ
1.44
1.42
VD=32 V
0.8
Op Amp Bias (Const. IDQ)
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
1.40
0.0
-40
-20
20
40
60
80
100
-40
-20
Temperature (C)
20
40
60
80
100
Temperature (C)
(a)
(b)
Fig. 20. T1G4012036-FL drain current over temperature for (a) 40 dBm WCDMA output power and (b)
quiescent current state where the op amp circuit was aligned to hold the IDQ constant over temp.
VD=32V, F=2150 MHz.
Efficiencyvs.Temperature
23
VD=+32 V
POUT=+40 dBm
22
Power Supply
Constant IDQ
21
OpAmp Bias
20
Power Supply
Constant VG
19
-40
-20
20
40
Temperature (C)
60
80
100
Fig. 21. Drain efficiency over temperature for constant VG set by a power supply, and constant
IDQ set by both power supply and the op amp bias circuit. F=2150 MHz, Pout=40 dBm.
- 17 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
45
40
VD=+32V
Op Amp Bias at +85C
Op Amp Bias at +25C
Power Supply (Const. IDQ) at +85C
Power Supply (Const. IDQ) at +25C
Power Supply (Const. IDQ) at 30C
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
Fig. 22. Efficiency vs. output power for gate bias supplied
by the op amp circuit and lab power supply. F=2150 MHz,
VD=+32V.
-40
POUT=+40 dBm, VD=+32 V
-41
-42
-43
-44
-45
-46
-47
-48
-40 -30 -20 -10 0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Temperature (C)
18
POUT=+40 dBm, VD=+32 V
Gain (dB)
17
16
15
Op Amp Bias
14
-40 -30 -20 -10 0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Temperature (C)
- 18 of 19 -
www.triquint.com
- 19 of 19 -
www.triquint.com