POWER AMPLIFIER DESIGN

for
High-Frequency Circuit Design Elective

by
Michael Tse

September 2003

Contents
Scattering Parameters
Relationship with voltage and current
Meanings of s-parameters
Intuitive Stability Issues
Gain Definitions of Power Amplifiers
Transducer Power Gain of Two-Port Circuits
Using s-parameters
Signal Flow Graph Reduction
Matching for Maximum Transducer Power Gain
Stability of Amplifier
Conditions for Stability
Conditional and Unconditional Stability
Determining Stability Regions
Rollett Criteria
Stabilizing Amplifiers by Neutralization via y-parameters

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

Scattering Parameters
When a wave arrives at a circuit, its energy is being scattered and partitioned into
many possible outgoing waves. Scattering parameters of a circuit describe how a set
of incoming waves is scattered.
a1 b1
a2 b2
an: incident wave at port n
bn: reflected wave at port n

a8
b8

B = SA
b1

b2
M

bn

a3
b3

[S]

a1

a2
M

an

a7
b7

a4
b4

S is called scattering matrix

a6 b6

a5 b5

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

Two-port Scattering Parameters

Suppose a1 is the incident wave at port 1, b1 is the reflected wave at port 1;
b2 is the incident wave at port 2, b2 is the reflected wave at port 2.
a1

a2

[S]

b1

b1 s11
=
b2 s21

s12 a1

s22 a2

or

b2

b1 = s11a1 + s12 a2
b2 = s21a1 + s22 a2

s11, s12, s21 and s22 are called scattering parameters. They completely characterizes
the two-port circuit.

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

Relationship with voltage and current

a1 =

V1 + Z o I1
2 2Z o

b1 =

V1 - Z o I1
2 2Z o

a2 =

V2 + Z o I2
2 2Z o

b2 =

V2 - Z o I2
2 2Z o

Note: Zo is the normalization

factor such that aa* and bb* give
the incident and reflected powers.

Special case: a one-port scattering parameter is simply the reflection coefficient!

z -1
Z
s=G=
where z = L
z +1
Zo
Similarly, for n-port circuits,

[S] = [Z 1][Z + 1]1

unit matrix
M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

Meanings of s-parameters
Suppose port 2 is matched with a resistor. So, there is no reflection back into the
circuit, i.e., a2 = 0.
a1
b1

[S]

b2

In this case, the reflected wave at port 1 is s11a1, and the wave transmitted to
the load resistor is s21a1.
So, basically, s11 and s21 tell how power is split between the possible output
ports (here port 1 and port 2 are possible output ports).
If this circuit is a good amplifier, we want a small s11 and a large s21.
Also, if the circuit is lossless and gainless, input power must equal output
power, so |s11|2 + |s21|2 = 1.
M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

Intuitive Stability Issues

Lets look at a one-port circuit. There is only one s-parameter which
is s11.
If this s11 is large (say >1), then it actually reflects more power or it
has a reflection gain. Stability can be a problem.
If this one-port is connected to a load (say a transmission line) of
reflection coefficient g1 and if |s11g1| > 1, the circuit will oscillate.
This is just the same Barkhausen criterion for oscillation, which says
that if the round trip gain is one and phase shift is 2, oscillation
occurs.
Lets look at a two-port circuit. A large s11 or s22 can cause
instability for some source impedance or load impedance.

G = g1

s11

round-trip gain = |s11g1|

G = g1

[S]

G = g2

round-trip gain = | s21s12g1g2 |

Normally, an amplifier has large s21 (of course). If it has small s12
and a mismatched input or output, the circuit may oscillate if the
round trip gain exceeds one. Typically, if the input reflection
coefficient is g1 and output reflection coefficient is g2, then
MORE
instability occurs if |s21s12g1g2| > 1.

DETAILS LATER

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

Gain Definitions in Power Amplifiers

Power Gain = power dissipated in load Z L
power delivered to amplifier
Available Gain =

amplifier output power

available power from generator source

Exchangeable Gain =

=
Insertion Gain

output exchangeable power

input exchangeable power
where exchangeable power of source =

V
4Re[ Z G ]

output power
power dissipated
in
load if the amplifier were absent

Transducer Power Gain =

power delivered to load

available power from source
M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

Transducer Power Gain of Two-Port Circuit

Using z-parameters
ZG

I1

I2

VG

[Z]

V1

Z in = z11 -

V2

ZL

z12 z21
z22 + Z L
2

Power available from source =

Transducer Power Gain

VG
8Re[ ZG ]

GT =

Power delivered to load =

4Re[Z L ]Re[ZG ] z21

1 2
I2 Re[ Z L ]
2

( ZG + z11)(Z L + z22 ) - z21z12

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

Using s-parameters
bG

ZG

a1

VG

a2

[S]

b1

ZL

b2

GG Gi

1 2
bG
Suppose the circuit is matched, i.e., GG = Gi* The available power Pa is Pa = 2
2
1- GG

Power delivered to load PL is PL =

1 2
2
b2 1- GL
2

Transducer power gain is

GT =

b2

bG

(1- G )(1- G )
2

Problem: can we express |b2/bG| in terms of s-parameters?

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Signal Flow Graph (SFG) Reduction

Rule 1:

XY

Rule 2:

X+Y

X
1- Y

Rule 3:

Rule 4:

X
X

Y
Z

We can use these rules

to find |b2/bG|.

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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SFG for the s-parameter circuit

bG= a1

a1

s21

s11
GG

b1

b2

b2

s22

GL

s12

b2

1- GL s22

G
G
1- GG s11

s12

bG

s21
1- GG s11
b2 =
s21s12GL GG
1GL s22
1(1- GL s22 )(1- GG s11 )

fi
Transducer power gain is

s21
1- GL s22

21

a2

From the reduced SFG, we get

bG
1- GG s11

b2
s21
=
bG (1- GL s22 )(1- GG s11 ) - s21s12GL GG
2

GT =

s21 1- GG

)(1- G )
2

(1- GL s22 )(1- GG s11 ) - s21s12GL GG

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Extensions:
2

Unilateral power gain

Gu = GT

s12 = 0

s21 1- GG

)(1- G )
2

(1- GL s22 )(1- GG s11)

Maximum unilateral power gain occurs when s12 = 0, GG = s11* and GL = s22*.

Gu,max =

s21

(1- s )(1- s )
2

11

22

NOTE:
s12 = 0 meansthat there is no internal feedback within the two-port. This is
impossible to achieve at Ghz range. For practical transistors, s12 is very
small but never 0. The above does not really exist in practice.

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Matching for Maximum Power Gain

Maximum power gain occurs when both terminals are matched.

2-port

ZG

GG Gi

The conditions are

ZL

Go GL

s21s12GL
1- GL s22
s s G
*
and Go = GL = s22 + 21 12 G
1- GG s11
Gi = GG* = s11 +

(a)
(b)

We want to find GG and GL that satisfy the above conditions.

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Putting (b) in (a), we get

GG* =

fi
fi

s11 (1- GG* s11* ) - D(s*22 - GG* D* )

*
1- GG* s11* - s22 + s22D*GG*
2

GG2 (s*22D - s11 ) + GG (1- s22 + s11 - D ) - s11* + D* s22 = 0

-GG2C1 + GG B1 - C1* = 0

where C1 = s11 - Ds*22

B1 = 1+ s11 - s22 - D

and D is the determinant of [S].

To find GG, we need to solve the above quadratic equation. The answer is

GG =

C1*
2
B B12 - 4 C1
2 1

2 C1

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Similarly, we get GL as

GL =

C2*
2
B22 - 4 C2
2 B2

2 C2

where C2 = s22 - DS11*

2

B2 = 1+ s22 - s11 - D

To choose the appropriate sign in the above formulae, we simply check

whether B1 and B2 are positive or negative. If Bi > 0, we take the sign.

Otherwise, we take the + sign.

Finally, the matching impedances can be found using
1+ GG
ZG = Z 0
1- GG
1+ GL
ZL = Z0
1- GL
M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Stability of Amplifier
Problem: unwanted oscillation may occur if there is a feedback loop.

Amplifier

feedback

External circuit
Feedback parasitic elements
Internal feedback path, e.g., C

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Conditions for Stability

Requirement:

Gi 1 and

Go 1
Hence, the stability boundary is
represented by circles corresponding
to

2-port

Gi = 1 and

Gi

Go = 1

Go

GL = 0
Gi = 1

Go = 1
(un)stable

(un)stable

(un)stable

(un)stable

Smith chart
M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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The condition Gi = 1 is equivalent to

s11 - DGL
=1
1- GL s22

(1- GL s22 )(1- GL* s*22 ) = (s11 - DGL )(s11* - D*GL* )

Mathematical manipulation gives

s12 s12
D* s11 - s*22 * Ds11* - s22
GL +

GL +
2
2
2
2 =
2
2
s22 - D
s22 - D

s22 - D

which is a circle equation with

centre

cL =

s11D* - s*22
2
2
D - s22

and radius rL =

s12 s12

(s

22

-D

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Similar, for the input side, we have the stability circles centre and radius
given by

cG =

*
s22D* - s11
2
2
D - s11

rG =

and

s21s12
2
D - s11
2

GL = 0

Gi = 1

Go = 1

(un)stable

(un)stable

(un)stable

(un)stable

Smith chart

Question: Which side is stable?

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Determining Stability Regions

Simple trick:
We know that when the load (or input)
side is matched, we have GL = 0 (or GG
= 0) which is the centre of the Smith
chart.

Zo
GL = 0

But, when the load is matched, we have

Gi = s11. So, if | s11 | < 1, then we know
that the centre of the Smith chart is
stable, and so is the whole region that
covers the centre.
Similar reasoning applies for the input
side.

stable if |s11| < 1

unstable if |s11| < 1

Smith chart
load stability circle

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Unconditional Stability
The amplifier is unconditionally stable if the stability circles are outside the
unit circle (Smith chart boundary) and |s11|<1 and |s22|<1.

load stability circle

unstable if |s11| < 1

|Gi| = 1

stable if |s11| < 1

|Go| = 1

unstable if |s11| < 1

input stability circle

Smith chart

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Conditional Stability
The amplifier is conditionally stable if the stability circles overlap with the
unit circle (Smith chart boundary) and |s11|<1 and |s22|<1. We should only
operate the amplifier with terminal impedances located further away from the
stability circles.

unstable if |s11| < 1

load stability circle

stable if |s11| < 1

|Gi| = 1

|Go| = 1

input stability circle

unstable if |s11| < 1

Smith chart

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Stability Criteria in Algebraic Form

It can be shown mathematically that the unconditional stability criteria
can be translated to the following equivalent form:
2

k=
and

1- s11 - s22 + D
1
2 s12 s21

D 1

the Rollett criteria, and k is called the stability factor,

The above is called
sometimes called the k-factor.

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Stabilizing a Transistor by Neutralization

A transmitter can be inherently unstable due to internal feedback of C.
Suppose a transistor has the following scattering parameters:
0.73 -102 0.10 48
[S] =

2.21 104 0.47 48

Hence, we can find the stability factor and determinant as

k = 0.752 and |D| = 0.294.

So, Rollett criteria are not satisfied, and the amplifier is NOT
unconditionally stable! That means, the amplifier can be unstable for
certain load and input impedances.
How can we make it unconditionally stable?
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One way to solve this problem is to use a shunt feedback to neutralize the
internal feedback. This method is okay up to VHF range and is valid for
narrowband only.

YG

Amplifier
[Ya]

YL

YG

[YT]

YL

external feedback
circuit [Yf]

Since the feedback is shunt-shunt type, y-parameters should be more

conveniently used in analysis.
The overall [YT] is

[YT] = [Ya] + [Yf]

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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13

Suppose a simple feedback circuit is used:

yfb

fi

y
-y fb
[Y f ] = fb

-y
fb y fb

find the y-parameters of the amplifier:

Also, from the s-parameters, we can

5.5307 10-3 + j1.9049 10-2 S 3.9086 10-4 - j2.3092 10-3 S

[Ya ] =
-2
-2
-3
-3
4.7114 10 - j2.1376 10 S 5.4445 10 + j5.184110 S

Thus, the overall y-parameters are

5.5307 10-3 + j1.9049 10-2 + y fb S 3.9086 10-4 - j2.3092 10-3 - y fb S

[YT ] =

-2
-2
-3
-3
4.7114 10 - j2.1376 10 - y fb S 5.4445 10 + j5.184110 + y fb S

M. Tse: Power Amplifier Design

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Our aim is to neutralize the internal feedback using the external feedback yfb.
Obviously, if we set yfb = j2.3092 S, then the internal feedback is cancelled.
This gives
5.5307 10-3 + j1.6739 10-2 S

3.9086 10-4 - j0 S
[YT ] =
-2
-2
-3
-3
4.7114 10 - j1.9067 10 S 5.4445 10 + j2.8750 10 S

We can now convert it back to s-parameters, and find the stability factor
and determinant again. We get
k = 2.067 and |D| = 0.4037.
These satisfy the Rollett criteria and the amplifier becomes unconditionally
stable.

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