@phdthesis{TomazdeCarvalho2024, author = {Tomaz de Carvalho, Antonio}, title = {A novel system for characterization of GaN-based low-noise amplifiers}, doi = {10.26127/BTUOpen-6844}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-opus4-68446}, school = {BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Although low-noise amplifiers (LNA) are designed to amplify low RF power levels, there are possibilities that they receive high RF powers as front-end radios and electronic warfare receiver systems. Commonly, this high power levels are not desired. Due to such applications and demands, robust LNA are required. The GaN-based HEMT low-noise amplifiers are being considered an established technology used on different applications for telecommunications systems and radars. The GaN-based LNAs can handle high RF input powers, and they still keep functional. These GaN-based robust LNAs have several advantages, as no limiters are required to protect them against high RF input powers. As a result, these robust LNAs have a simplified RF receiver architecture and are cheaper to manufacture. However, the GaN HEMTs LNAs are known to show significant memory effects, which also play a negative role when a high RF input power level is received by the LNA and drives it into compression. After degradation of the LNA performance, it needs time to recover to its normal small-signal operation mode. This time is called recovery time. This is an important measurement parameter, once some applications require receivers to work immediately after a high RF input power was received, especially for pulse-radar applications. The main focus of this thesis is on the implementation of a novel measurement setup suitable to characterize the GaN-based robust LNAs and their recovery time. First, the system concept was implemented step by step using different instruments. The whole system setup has been programmed to work remotely, to perform the measurement and to save the results automatically. A software based on Matlab script language was developed and integrated to the system setup in order to control the test equipment. The setup allows for simultaneous measurements and data acquisitions. The setup can perform recovery time measurements in time domain, can measure the reflected power and also monitor the drain current of the LNA. A pulse signal is used as overdrive signal to stress the LNA with high-power levels, which can be variously defined in width and period according to the target application. This overdrive signal can also be monitored and measured during the recovery time characterization. The core of the measurement system is an PNA-X vector network analyzer, which allows the characterization of small-signal gain recovery time. The reflected power is measured using a power sensor, while the drain current is monitored using an oscilloscope. In order to validate the system setup, three different GaN LNAs were used. Finally, the system was extended to work also for 5 GHz frequency band. The results shown in this thesis enables for innovative future research activities on robust LNAs.}, subject = {Amplifier; LNA; Robust; GaN; Microwave; Rauscharmer Verst{\"a}rker; Robustheit; {\"U}berlastfall; MMIC; RF und Mikrowellentechnik; MMIC; Rauscharmer Verst{\"a}rker; Galliumnitrid; HEMT; {\"U}berlast}, language = {en} }