Class E Power Amplifer
Class E Power Amplifer
Abstract
The PRF-1150 module is a self-contained 1KW 13.56MHz RF source. The
module facilitates operation and evaluation of the DEIC420 RF MOSFET gate
driver IC and DE275X2-102N06A RF MOSFET in a practical 13.56 MHz RF
generator application. It is all-inclusive, pre-tested, and ready to operate.
Contact: [email protected]
http://www.ixysrf.com
INTRODUCTION
This RF module has been developed to demonstrate the capabilities of our DEIC420 RF
MOSFET gate driver IC and DE275-102N06X2A 1000V 6A RF MOSFET at ISM
frequencies. The PRF-1150 module produces 1000W CW of RF output at 13.56MHz.
with 85% DC to RF conversion efficiency. The module is a self-contained RF
generator. To produce 1kW of RF output, only external DC power need be applied.
The module dimensions as shown in Figure 1 are 6.75” x 3.1” x 2.7” including an air-
cooled heatsink and copper heat-spreader. Impingement flow from a standard 4.5”
bench fan provides adequate cooling for the 1kW output level. Standard 0.1” dual and
single row headers are used for DC input to the module and a single right-angle BNC
connector is used for RF output to a 1kW 50Ω RF load or attenuator.
MODULE DESCRIPTION
Please refer to Figures 1-6 during this module description. Low-Voltage DC is applied
to the module via connector J1. 5V @ 30 ma and 15V @ 3A are applied to J1 pins 4
and 2 respectively. LEDs D3 and D5 glow green if the appropriate voltages are applied.
U1 is a 13.56MHz clock providing a 50% DC, 0-5V square wave. U2A provides a pulse-
width adjustable source to drive U4, the DEIC420 gate driver IC.
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PRF-1150 13.56MHz 1kW Class E RF Generator
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R2 +15V R1
4BEADS 1.5K 1/4W
D1
C3 + 16V ZENER D3
10UF C4 GRN
.47UF 50V
J1
1 2
3 4 R3 +5V R5
5 6 1.0 1W 511 1/4W
7 8
9 10
11 12 C12 C8 D4
13 14 10UF + .47UF D5
5.6V ZENER
HEADER 7X2 GRN
VCC_B
C52
14
4
PR U2A
VCC
2 5
D Q GATE_DRIVE_PULSE
R14
VCC_A 1K 1/4W 3 6
GND
CLK Q
3
R8
CL
OUTPUT
4 R18
GND R19
1K 1/4W C54
1
13.56 MHz
27PF 100V D6
51.1 1/4W 1N4148W
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PRF-1150 13.56MHz 1kW Class E RF Generator
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D
E2
JP1
RED TP
1 2
1
3 4
5 6 VDS_INPUT 4X0.01UF 1KV
7 8
9 10
11 12 D2
D D D D D 56PF
1.0 1W R23
+15V R31 10K 1W C6
GATE_sample R22 R24
D
R20 C31 56PF
4.7UF 16V
J3 D
C7
+
2 10K 1W 10K 1W
C29 1 56PF
1
C30 .47UF 50V
L1 L1 C9
C34 21uH
40 TURNS of 22 AWG
C32 4700PF 50V NPO 56PF
Core: 1-T106-2
C28 C10
C33 1000PF 100V D
2
E4 D 56PF
0.01UF 1KV L2
U3 C11
WHITE TP 5 TURNS of 3/8"
U4 DEIC420 8 X 2 ohm 1 8 C25 C21 C50 C48
1 6 R10 R11 R15 R16 SG1 SD1 56PF CU strap
1
100pF
2
1
1.0 1W
+15V
C21, 25, 26, 36, 37, 48, 50, 51 and 53 form the additional shunt C necessary for Class
E operation. C36, 37, 51 and 53 form an 11:1 capacitive voltage divider providing a
sample of the drain voltage to J4. C5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 41, 42 and 43 together
form the series Tank Capacitor, Ct. L2 functions as both the main Tank inductor and as
part of the output “L-match” matching the tank impedance to the RF load. C1, 2, 35 and
C38-40 form the shunt Co portion of the output L-match network. J2 is a BNC
connector for the module RF output signal.
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JP1 L1 L2
0-300VDC RFC Tank L
J1
15VDC
5VDC
U1
OSC J2
RF OUT
D2
D3 VDS ON
15V OK
D5
5V OK
J3
Gate
Sample
R8 connector
Pulse
Width
adjust
Figure 5: PRF-1150 Left Side Top View
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PRF-1150 13.56MHz 1kW Class E RF Generator
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Ctank Load C
(Ct) (Co)
J2
RF
Drain C OUT
(Cd)
8X 2 Ω
Gate R
J4
Drain
Sample
Figure 6: PRF-1150 Right Side Top-View
+15V
VDD
Cbypass
2 X 1.0
D
Cbypass
RFC
+
21uH
D
E4 D
U3
2
WHITE TP
U4 1 8
SG1 SD1
1
1 6 Lt J2
+VCC GND Ct 560nH
0.25 ohm 2 7 734pF BNC Right Angle
GATE_DRIVE_PULSE 2 5 G1 D1 2 1
IN OUT
3 6
3 4 G2 D2
+VCC GND Cd
DEIC420 4 5 227pF Co D
SG2 SD2 547pF
Cbypass
102N06X2A
D
+
D D
D
2 X 1.0
+15V
THEORY OF OPERATION
Referring to Figure 7, the active device, U3, is chosen such that it has high-speed turn
“on” and “off” characteristics, low RDSon resistance and low COSS and CRSS. As such, it
will be an effective low loss switch in its saturated mode of operation. The resonant
load network is designed so that its transient response minimizes the power dissipation
in the active device during the switching intervals.
Figure 8 describes the ideal Class E circuit waveforms. During the “off” state of the
active device, the drain current remains at zero while the voltage across the device,
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Vds, increases to a maximum of 3.5 times Vdd (T0-T1). At the end of the “off” cycle (T1),
the voltage across the active device has decreased to zero. At (T1) Vgs is applied and
the current through the active device increases toward a maximum of 2.86 times Idc. At
the end of the “on” state (T2) the gate drive, Vgs is removed and the current drops to
zero before the voltage begins to rise.
T0 T1 T2 T3
Vds
Ids
Vgs
In principle, there is no appreciable current flowing while drain voltage is present across
the device and likewise there is no appreciable voltage (Vds) across the device while
drain current is flowing. During switching transitions (T1, T2), both current and voltage
have zero crossover values. With switching losses reduced in this manner, the only
loss remaining is conduction. The ideal efficiency in a high power Class E amplifier will
approach ≥90%.
In Figure 7, the resonant load network consists of four passive elements Cd, Ct, Lt, and
the effective RF load resistance Rl, connected to BNC connector, J2. The values of
these four elements are chosen such that the resonant frequency and Q produce the
ideal waveforms shown in Figure 8.
The RF choke (RFC), shown in Figure 7, is essentially high impedance at the operating
frequency, fo. Its value is sufficiently high as to act as a constant current source to the
resonant circuit
device does not discharge to zero prior to the device turning on. Too high of a Q and
the voltage across the device discharges too quickly and possibly even swings
negative.
Please note that Cd, the shunt Capacitance from U3 Drain to Source, is effectively the
summation of a physical capacitor and the equivalent Coss of U3. Coss can be
estimated from Data Sheet values.
A MathCAD model of the Class E topology was used as a guide in the initial design
phase of this module. It was intended to use an 8Ω load for the tank load resistance R
and keep a low Q of approximately 2 to keep the tank peak voltages below 2KV. The
following page is a summary page of those initial design values.
Rl := 50 RF load R
Figure 9 shows impedance match and tank values for the module. The L-match and Co
combination match the desired 8Ω load line to BNC connector J2 and the RF load of
50Ω. Lt and Ct form the series-resonant tank. Cd is the shunt drain capacitance
required for proper Class E operation. Since the resonant Tank inductor (Lt) is directly in
series with the impedance matching inductor (Lmatch), these functionally different
inductors are actually implemented as one inductor whose value is the sum of the two.
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VDD
Cbypass
1
RFC, 20 uH
2
J2
Ct BNC Right Angle
U3 Drain 2 1 2 1
Lt Lmatch
734pF 345nH 215nH
Cd Co
227pF 547pF
These MathCAD results provided a starting point for initial design values. However, It
assumes ideal components, includes no parasitics, and assumes an ideal 50% duty-
cycle (DC) gate drive waveform.
These capacitors should be low inductance and low ESR types chosen specifically for
pulse applications. SMT caps are recommended for their low inductance package and
density. This allows easy parallelling of several caps very close to the DEIC420 while
minimizing lead and layout inductance. Figure 3 shows the actual circuit values chosen
for this design. Finally, on device “turn-off” the gate must be discharged rapidly, and the
ground return path from the MOSFET source to driver return leads must be low
inductance and low impedance. This is usually ensured during layout by keeping the
driver and MOSFET physically close, and maintaining symmetric return paths including
a ground plane on the PCB. Figure 9 describes a typical gate drive pulse for the PRF-
1150 module.
The DE275X2-102N06A MOSFET is a dual device in that it houses two independent
MOSFETS in one package. It maintains a low RDSon (2.0Ω/2 = 1Ω), a 12A current
rating, and thermal capabilities of 560W Pd @ 25oC and a theta Junction-to-Heatsink of
0.26oC/W. The 1KV part was chosen because the peak drain voltage can approach 3.5
X VDD.
The implementation of the Output Tank and matching network given target design
values from MathCAD is straightforward. All capacitors are low ESR porcelain ceramic
capacitors chosen for their low-loss RF characteristics. Note that the drain peak voltage
can approach 1KV, and due to the resonant tank action the tank L/C common point can
approach Ql x Vp, or 2KVp. Appropriate voltage rated parts should be used. Several
manufacturers including ATC (American Technical Ceramics), Murata Erie, and
Dielectric Labs all supply appropriate capacitors for this application. To minimize
localized capacitor heating and to provide adequate design margin, several capacitors
are used in parallel.
Similarly, the Tank and matching network circulating currents can easily approach
20Ap. Tank inductor L2 was designed for the best minimum-loss design that would fit
into the available PCB footprint. The conductor is made from silver-plated 3/8” copper
strap. The silver plating is used to provide the lowest conductive losses in a practical
design format and provides a 3% decrease in Rac over standard copper strap material.
This directly corresponds to a 3% decrease in conduction loss. Iron powder material for
the toroid was chosen for it’s low permeability, good temperature stability, and high
Curie temperature.
OPERATIONAL WAVEFORMS
Although careful initial design will minimize module tuning, some deviation from ideal is
to be expected. The best approach to fine tuning this topology is to observe the drain
waveform with an oscilloscope. There are two sample connectors on this module
designed to support module testing. J4 provides an AC coupled 11:1 voltage sample of
the MOSFET drain waveform. For 1kW output a quasi-sine of 800/11 = 73Vp will be
available for monitoring. This is useful if a 100:1 voltage probe is unavailable or for
implementing protection circuitry for the module. Figure 10 represents a good goal for
the drain waveform.
J3 provides a direct sample of the MOSFET gate drive signal. It is intended that a 50Ω
coax cable be plugged into connector J3. The gate drive can then be directly monitored
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The quasi-sine drain waveform of U3 is converted to a sine wave by the resonant action
of the tank network (Ct and Lt in Figure 7). The higher the Q of the resonant tank, the
more pure the sine wave is and the lesser the harmonic content in the RF output.
Figure 11 shows the output waveform at the 50Ω load after the output tank and
matching network. Figure 12 is a frequency domain measurement of the PRF-1150
harmonic content. The output power is 1KW (60 dBm) and note the second and all
higher harmonics are greater than 30 dB below the fundamental signal (≤ -30dBc).
Further filtering can easily be added in the output-matching network if additional
harmonic suppression is required.
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PRF-1150 13.56MHz 1kW Class E RF Generator
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TEST DATA
Typical module data is shown in Table 1. Data are taken in 100W increments and the
VDS power supply voltage, drain current (Id), and U3 peak Drain voltages were
recorded. The fifth and sixth columns are the calculated efficiency (Po/(VDS*Id)) and
PS load-line (LL=VDS/Id) values, respectively.
SPICE ANALYSIS
The initial MathCAD analysis assumed ideal components, included no parasitics, and
assumed an ideal 50% duty-cycle (DC) gate drive waveform. A better basis for future
design was desired. As a result, further analysis of the PRF-1150 was performed using
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SPICE. Figure 13 shows the .subckt used in the simulation of the 102N06A
MOSFET used in the PRF-1150 module.
*SYM=POWMOSN
.SUBCKT 102N06A 10 20 30
* TERMINALS: D G S
* 1000 Volt 6 Amp 2.0 Ohm N-Channel Power MOSFET
M1 1 2 3 3 DMOS L=1U W=1U
RON 5 6 .5
DON 6 2 D1
ROF 5 7 1.0
DOF 2 7 D1
D1CRS 2 8 D2
D2CRS 1 8 D2
CGS 2 3 1.9N
RD 4 1 1.7
DCOS 3 1 D3
RDS 1 3 5.0MEG
LS 3 30 .5N
LD 10 4 1N
LG 20 5 1N
.MODEL DMOS NMOS (LEVEL=3 VTO=4 KP=2.3)
.MODEL D1 D (IS=.5F CJO=10P BV=100 M=.5 VJ=.2 TT=1N)
.MODEL D2 D (IS=.5F CJO=400P BV=1000 M=.6 VJ=.6 TT=1N RS=10M)
.MODEL D3 D (IS=.5F CJO=400P BV=1000 M=.35 VJ=.6 TT=400N RS=10M)
.ENDS
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ORCAD PSPICE AD version 9.2.1 was used as the simulation platform. Figure 14
describes the circuit schematic and values used in the simulation.
Each of the critical circuit waveforms described in the “operational waveforms” section
above is also presented here via the SPICE simulation for comparison. Figure 15
shows the MOSFET gate drive signal. Figure 16 describes the drain voltage at 1kW of
RF output power. Finally, Figure 17 displays the output sine wave at the RF load.
Table 3 directly compares the measured test data from the PRF-1150 bench testing to
the SPICE simulation data.
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CONCLUSION
The PRF-1150 RF generator module produces 1KW from a single DE275X2-102N06A
dual MOSFET device with ≥85% DC to RF conversion efficiency. Based on a traditional
Class “E” topology, a 1 kW, high-efficiency, air-cooled module, with a volume of less
than 57 cubic inches was successfully designed and built and is available for purchase
from DEI. The density of packaging shows what is currently possible using SMT.
The DEIC420 gate driver IC functions successfully as a dedicated MOSFET gate driver
for the DE275X2-102N06X2A MOSFET device operated with both internal MOSFET
devices in parallel. Its 20Ap capability successfully drives ≥3600pF of Ciss at
13.56MHz. Because of the sub-10nS rise-times and high peak currents involved, a
discussion of key layout and design issues is included.
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Ideal waveforms as well as bench test data are included to help in the understanding of
Class E operation, as well as to provide a basis for design of customer-specific
modules. The successful implementation of an output L-C Tank Circuit is key to a high-
efficiency Class E design. This design incorporates a “Low Q” design to intentionally
keep peak voltages and resonant circulating currents as low as practically possible.
These efforts along with the use of low-ESR porcelain “RF” capacitors, powdered-iron
toroids, and an extremely low-loss inductor design keep component heating to a
minimum. Even with the low Q design, the 1KW harmonic spectrum of the RF output
shows all harmonics at least ≤ -30dBc.
Test data shows ≥85% efficiency over an output power range of 300-1000W of output
power. A comparison of MOSFET operating conditions shows ≥20% margin for key
operating parameters including VDSmax, ID, Pd, and Tjmax at the 1KW output level.
Although several design methods are available, SPICE simulation shows very good
correlation between bench test data and simulation results. As a result, we recommend
SPICE analysis for designing the Class E topology. DEI provides MOSFET SPICE
models that are easily incorporated into standard “off the shelf” SPICE programs and
design suites.
The PRF-1150 provides the customer with a functional, compact, and tested RF
module. It can be used stand-alone in RF generator applications, as the basis of new
design insight, or improved upon to meet customer needs. It is an ideal building block
for high-density low and medium power plasma etching and deposition applications.
Complete PRF-1150 modules are available pre-tested both with and without heatsinks
from DEI. Please email [email protected] for more information.
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REFERENCES
Further information on the Class E topology and its design is available in the following
references.
US Patent #3,919,656
HIGH-EFFICIENCY TUNED SWITCHING POWER AMPLIFIER
Nathan O. Sokal; Alan D. Sokal
November 11, 1975
US Patent #4,607,323
CLASS E HIGH-FREQUENCY HIGH-EFFICIENCY DC/DC POWER CONVERTER
Nathan O. Sokal; Richard Redl
August 19, 1986
US Patent #5,187,580
HIGH POWER SWITCH-MODE RADIO FREQUENCYAMPLIFIER METHOD AND
APPARATUS
Robert M. Porter; Michael L. Mueller
February 16, 1993
Herbert L. Krauss and Charles W. Bostian
Solid State Radio Engineering
Copyright 1980, John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 0-471-03018-X
pp 448-454
Mihai Albulet
RF POWER AMPLIFIERS
Copyrighted 2001, Noble Publishing
ISBN 1-884932-12-6
pp 215-301
EMAIL: [email protected]
http://www.ixysrf.com
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