Matching in Power Amplifiers and its Effect on Amplification of Large IBW Signals

Power amplifier design typically relies on passive matching networks synthesized in the frequency domain to provide the best harmonic terminations to the transistors. This approach intrinsically assumes that the steady-state response of the networks is sufficient to predict the response of the amplifiers. However, when amplifying signals with IBW becoming significant compared to the RF frequency, this funding assumption might start to shake. This talk will discuss how different matching networks and ways of simulating them can lead to contrasting results, trying to identify the best method to adopt in these situations.