Ultra broadband envelope tracking systems for 5G utilizing class-S supply voltage modulator

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Heinrich; Dr.-Ing. Andreas Wentzel
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2017 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390907840

In the course of this project an energy-efficient envelope tracking power amplifier system for extreme high signal bandwidths for the mm-wave frequency range as required for next-generation 5G wireless communications will be developed. For this purpose, the supply voltage modulator is to be implemented with digital amplifier modules. The proposed system is designed for a signal frequency of 28 GHz at an output power of 5 W and addresses base stations in future 5G networks with more and more distributed and smaller cells. A major goal of this project is to overcome the previous limitation of the signal bandwidth of the envelope tracking concept. With the provided digital amplifiers as a voltage modulator, bandwidths of up to 1 GHz are applied. The envelope tracking system is to be implemented with the help of GaN-HEMT circuits and integrated on one chip.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants