A GaAs power amplifier IC has been developed for 1. 9-GHz digital mobile communication applications, such as the handsets of the Japanese personal handy phone system (PHS), which was assembled into a very small 0. 012-cc surface mount plastic package. This power amplifier using refractory WNx/W self-aligned gate MESFETs with p-pocket layers can operate with high efficiency and low distortion with a single 3-V supply. A very low dissipated current of 119 mA was obtained with an output power of 21. 1 dBm and a low 600-kHz adjacent channel leakage power (ACP) of -63 dBc for π/4-shifted quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulated input.

Two approaches to the design of resonant-type switches with low distortion characteristics operating at a 2-V power supply voltage have been proposed for use in the 1. 9-GHz-band personal handy phone system (PHS). One approach is to use three stacked FETs at the receiver side. They are composed of a dual-gate FET and a single-gate FET. An insertion loss of 0. 41 dB and an isolation of 44. 0 dB were obtained at 1. 9 GHz. A third-order distortion value of -52 dBc was achieved at 19 dBm output power. Another approach is to insert a capacitor in the resonator. A third-order distortion of -49 dBc at 19-dBm output power when two stacked FETs were used at the receiver side. The layout area of the resonator is drastically reduced as compared with the above-mentioned case.

A GaAs power MESFET amplifier with a low-distortion, 10-dB gain-variable attenuator has been developed for 1. 9-GHz Japanese personal handy phone system (PHS). Independently of its gain, a very low 600-kHz adjacent channel leakage power (ACP) with sufficient output power was attained. In single low 2. 4-V supply operation, an output power of 21. 1 dBm, a low dissipated current of 157 mA and a high power-added efficiency (PAE) of 37. 2% were obtained with an ACP of -55 dBc.