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Steve Cripps

Professor Steve Cripps

Distinguished Research Professor

School of Engineering

Overview

I am a microwave engineer and have spent over 40 years working in the high frequency electronic industry, both in the UK and 15 years in the USA. After completing my Ph.D at Cambridge I joined the pioneering group at Plessey Research Labs (Caswell) which developed the first commercially available Gallium Arsenide Field Effect (GaAsFET) transistors. After establishing a pilot commercial low noise GaAs amplifier operation I was recruited by Watkins Johnson in California, to join their broadband military ECM amplifier group. During the subsequent 15 years in California I became a recognized authority on microwave power amplifier design, publishing numerous papers through the I.E.E.E and authoring several books on this subject. I returned to the UK in 1996 and acted as an independent consultant in the burgeoning mobile communications sector. I also started my association with the Cardiff University CHFE group, building up a research activity in novel power amplifier techniques. I am a Life Fellow of the I.E.E.E.

Publication

2024

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2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Articles

Conferences

Research

Contracts

TitlePeopleSponsorValueDuration
Development of robust broadband Power amplifiers based on high voltage HBT'sTasker P, Cripps STriQuint WJ Inc2750001/10/2012 - 30/09/2015
Integrating High-Performance Power Amplifier with Miniturized Wideband Antenna for Highly-Efficient Future Communication DevicesLees J, Tasker P, Cripps SSer Cymru NRN AEM Swansea5935001/10/2014 - 30/09/2017
Wide bandwidth power-switchable high efficiency amplifiersCripps SSelex ES8865015/10/2014 - 31/12/2015
Power amplifier design for wideband communications (PADWIC)Cripps SEC Horizon202014676401/09/2015 - 31/08/2017
Wide band high efficiency power amplifier study and demonstrationCripps SSelex ES Ltd4000016/09/2013 - 30/04/2014
RF Push-pull broadband power amplifiersCripps S, Powell JSELEX ES LTD2494911/01/2013 - 12/07/2013
Characterization, analysis and recommendations for drain efficiency of the VHV8 platform above 1GHzCripps S, Tasker PFreescale Semiconductor3371023/04/2014 - 22/10/2014
Clean and Green Microwave heating using solid state physicsCripps, S, Porch A, Lees JNXP Semiconductors Netherlands B V3000001/10/2011 - 30/09/2014

Supervised Students

TitleStudentStatusDegree
Device level characterisation of out-phasing amplifiersBOGUSZ AleksanderCurrentPhD
Solid-State Microwave heating For Biomedical ApplicationsIMTIAZ AzeemGraduatePhD
Re-configure high efficiency power amplifiers.SHEPPHARD Daniel JohnCurrentPhD
DEVELOPMENT OF ROBUST BROADBAND POWER AMPLIFIERS BASED ON HIGH VOLTAGE HBTS.LOESCHER David JohnCurrentPhD
INTEGRATING HIGH-PERFORMANCE POWER AMPLIFIERS WITH MINIATURIZED WIDEBAND ANTENNAS FOR HIGHLY-EFFICIENT FUTURE COMMUNICATION DEVICES.NAGASUNDARAM ElangoCurrentPhD
Power amplifier design for microwave heating applicationsCHAUDHRY KauserCurrentPhD
High Resolution Electric Field Probes With Applications In High Efficiency RF Power Amplifier DesignDEHGHAN NeloGraduatePhD
Broadband Microwave Push-Pull Power AmplifiersSMITH RobertGraduatePhD
DOHERTY AMPLIFIER WITH AID OF AD-HOC OPTIMIZATION FOR SDR APPLICATIONS.KAMARUDIN Syalwani BintiCurrentPhD
Continuous Mode High Efficiency Power Amplifier Design For X BandCANNING TimothyGraduatePhD
The Auxiliary Envelope Tracking RF Power AmplifiersYUSOFF ZubaidaGraduatePhD

Biography

Prof. Steve C. Cripps

Born: Liverpool, England; 1950

 Education:

 1961-67   Liverpool Institute High School

1968-71   Cambridge University (JesusCollege); B.A. (Honours, 1st Class) 1971

 M.A. (Cambridge University, 1973)

 1971-74 Cambridge University (Engineering Dept.) ; Ph.D. 1975 

(Thesis Title "Trappatt  Oscillators and Applications")

 Professional Affiliation:

 Fellow, I.E.E.E. (Life Fellow 2015)

  Chairman, I.E.E.E Microwave Theory and Techniques (MTT) Society, Santa

ClaraValley  Chapter. (1993-4)

 Member, UK ADCOM IEEE MTT/LEOS Chapter

 Member, IEEE MTT Technical Co-ordination Committee (TCC)

 Member, IEEE MTT Technical Program Committee

 Member, IEEE MTT Publications Committee

 Vice Chair (past) , IEEE MTT TCC Section 5 (High Power Amplifiers)

 (Note: MTT-TPC committee reviews and selects papers for the International Microwave Symposium, and the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques. MTT-TCC sets policies and priorities for research activities and publications in the microwave and RF field).

 Awards:

 2008 recipient of the prestigious IEEE-MTT Microwave Applications Award, for “Contributions to the theory and design of broadband microwave power amplifiers”.

 2016 recipient of IEEE-MTT Microwave prize for best paper in MTT Transactions (2014-15).

 2018 recipient of IEEE MTT Itoh Award for most influential paper in Microwave and Wirless Components Letters (2017-18).

 Work Experience:

 2010-present   Distinguished Research Professor, Cardiff University

 1990 (April)- Formed Hywave Associates, an RF and Microwave Consulting Company. Clients to date include:

 Freescale, RF Semiconductor Division (Tempe, Az., USA)

Zinwave (Cambrudge, UK, radio over fiber amplifiers)

Lucent-Alcatel (Swindon, UK, High Power PAs)

BesserAssociates  (Technical Training Courses)

CEI Europe (Technical Training Courses)

 Litton Applied Technology Division (ECM Microwave Component and Subsystems)

Wavetek Microwave (Microwave Instruments)

Matcom (GaAsFET Applications Engineering)

 Palm Technology (Fiber Optical Communications)

 Akon (Broadband Detector Log Amplifiers (DLVAs)

 New Focus (Optical Instrumentation)

 Pacific Monolithics (GaAs MMICs and subsystems)

 ADX Microsys (Wireless Communications Systems)

 Microwave Technology  (Microwave devices and subsystems)

Spectrian  (Cellular Base Station Power Amps)

TriquintSemiconductor  (GaAs MMIC Power Amplifiers)

Nokia Telecommunications  (MCPA Linearisation)

Filtronic (Shipley, UK, High Power PAs and linearization)

 NXP Semiconductors (Nijmegen, Netherlands, High power RF semiconductors)

Scintera (Santa Clara, USA, PA linearization RFICs)

 

 

 1985-1990 - Celeritek, San Jose (Founder, Engineering Manager).

 Managed all design Engineering activities in the Company including planning, recruitment, quotations, documentation system, CAD and Engineering Lab facilities. Also worked as individual engineering contributor in several major product areas:

      * Broadband MIC power amplifiers

      * Low noise amplifiers

      * Ultra wideband amplifiers (2-20 GHz)

      * Millimeter wave amplifiers (18-40 Ghz)

      * Miniaturized MIC packaging

      * Advanced thin film technology

      * MMIC products (amplifiers, switches, attenuators)

1984-85 - Narda West, (Loral Corp.),San Jose

Manager, Active Component Engineering.Headed the Engineering Group for microwave amplifier product line (13 Engineers, Technicians).

     New product areas developed during this period included RF logarithmic amplifiers and digitally programmable AGC amplifiers over 2 to 18 GHz frequency bands. Successful procedures and test methods were implemented for shipping production quantities of frequency memory loop amplifiers (FML).

1979-84 Watkins Johnson (Palo Alto, and Windsor, England)

     Head, Power Amplifiers (1982-84). Headed a group responsible for the design and production of medium power solid state amplifiers.Personally responsible for the design of the industry's first 2-8 GHz 1 Watt solid state amplifier. To achieve this, a new theoretical approach to the design and modelling of high power GaAsFETs was developed and published (see publications, 1983). This technique is still widely used today.

     Prior to transferring to the Solid State Division in 1981, was a Group Leader at the England facility of Watkins Johnson. Developed a range of active and passive components in the UHF and microwave range to complement an antenna distribution product line.

 

1974-79 - Plessey Research Ltd.,Towcester, England.

Group Leader, GaAsFET hybrid applications group (1977-79). Headed a group (6 Engineers) developing a range of products using internally manufactured GaAs FET devices. These included low noise amplifiers, mixers, and oscillators.

 

Patents:

"A MicrostripBalun Having Improved Bandwidth"

(Issued April 1988)

"Multiple FET Devices Having Direct Coupled Stages for Improved Microwave Operation"  (Issued June 1991)

"Method and Means for the Measurement of Active Device Channel Temperature in Microwave Hybrids and MMICs"

(Issued July 1991)

"A Microwave Detector Having Improved Linearity" (Issued 1993)

“High Efficiency RF Power Amplifier” (Issued July 1994)

“A reconfigurable Microwave Amplifier” (sponsored by Selex, pending)

 

 

 

 

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