(1)THALES ALENIA SPACE

This paper deals with the design, manufacture and test of a high efficiency power amplifier for L-band space borne applications. The circuit operates with a single 36 mm gate periphery GaN HEMT power die allowing both improved integration and performance as compared with standard HPA design in a similar RF power range. A huge effort, dedicated to the packaging environment as well as the device’s characterization and modeling, has eased the circuit optimization. Test results demonstrate performance up to 182 W RF output power with an associated 66 % PAE under 50 V supply voltage using a single GaN power bar