Millimeter-Wave CMOS Power Amplifiers With High Output Power and Wideband Performances

In this paper, we propose a design method of multi-way combining networks with impedance transformation for millimeter-wave (MMW) power amplifiers (PAs) to achieve high output power and wideband performance simultaneously in millimeter-wave frequency. Based on the proposed methodology, three power amplifiers are designed and fabricated in V-band, W-band, and D-band using 65-nm CMOS technology. With 1.2-V supply, the saturation powers of these power amplifiers are 23.2 dBm, 18 dBm and 13.2 dBm at 64 GHz, 90 GHz, and 140 GHz, with 25.1-GHz, 26-GHz, and 30-GHz 3-dB bandwidth, respectively. Compared with the published MMW amplifiers, these PAs achieve high output power and wide band performances simultaneously, and the ouput power levels is the state-of-the-art performance at these frequencies.

[1]  Jeng-Han Tsai,et al.  Design and Analysis of a 55–71-GHz Compact and Broadband Distributed Active Transformer Power Amplifier in 90-nm CMOS Process , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[2]  Huei Wang,et al.  A W-band power amplifier in 65-nm CMOS with 27GHz bandwidth and 14.8dBm saturated output power , 2012, 2012 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium.

[3]  R. Plana,et al.  High-Gain and Linear 60-GHz Power Amplifier With a Thin Digital 65-nm CMOS Technology , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[4]  A. Inoue,et al.  Stability analysis and layout design of an internally stabilized multi-finger FET for high-power base station amplifiers , 2003, IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, 2003.

[5]  Guo-Wei Huang,et al.  A 1.2V broadband D-band power amplifier with 13.2-dBm output power in standard RF 65-nm CMOS , 2012, 2012 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[6]  G. Palmisano,et al.  A Transformer-Coupling Current-Reuse SiGe HBT Power Amplifier for 77-GHz Automotive Radar , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[7]  Ruey-Beei Wu,et al.  60-GHz Four-Element Phased-Array Transmit/Receive System-in-Package Using Phase Compensation Techniques in 65-nm Flip-Chip CMOS Process , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[8]  U.R. Pfeiffer,et al.  A 23-dBm 60-GHz Distributed Active Transformer in a Silicon Process Technology , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[9]  Steven Thijs,et al.  A low-power 57-to-66GHz transceiver in 40nm LP CMOS with −17dB EVM at 7Gb/s , 2012, 2012 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference.

[10]  Richard Lai,et al.  220-GHz Solid-State Power Amplifier Modules , 2012, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[11]  Jeng-Han Tsai,et al.  A W-Band Medium Power Amplifier in 90 nm CMOS , 2008, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[12]  Jeng-Han Tsai,et al.  MM-Wave Integration and Combinations , 2012, IEEE Microwave Magazine.

[13]  Lionel E. Davis,et al.  Design and analysis of an X-band MMIC "bus-bar" power combiner , 1999, 1999 Symposium on High Performance Electron Devices for Microwave and Optoelectronic Applications. EDMO (Cat. No.99TH8401).

[14]  P. Chevalier,et al.  170-GHz transceiver with on-chip antennas in SiGe technology , 2008, 2008 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium.

[15]  Q. J. Gu,et al.  Two-Way Current-Combining $W$-Band Power Amplifier in 65-nm CMOS , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[16]  Danny Elad,et al.  A high gain wideband 77GHz SiGe power amplifier , 2010, 2010 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium.

[17]  Songcheol Hong,et al.  A 77-GHz CMOS Power Amplifier With a Parallel Power Combiner Based on Transmission-Line Transformer , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[18]  Corrado Carta,et al.  A 1.1V 150GHz amplifier with 8dB gain and +6dBm saturated output power in standard digital 65nm CMOS using dummy-prefilled microstrip lines , 2009, 2009 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference - Digest of Technical Papers.

[19]  Yi Zhao,et al.  A Wideband, Dual-Path, Millimeter-Wave Power Amplifier With 20 dBm Output Power and PAE Above 15% in 130 nm SiGe-BiCMOS , 2012, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[20]  G. Palmisano,et al.  A 15-dBm SiGe BiCMOS PA for 77-GHz Automotive Radar , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[21]  T. Merkle,et al.  A symmetry device to speed up circuit simulation and stability tests , 2002, 2002 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (Cat. No.02CH37278).

[22]  Baudouin Martineau,et al.  94GHz power-combining power amplifier with +13dBm saturated output power in 65nm CMOS , 2011, 2011 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium.

[23]  Qun Jane Gu,et al.  A compact, fully differential D-band CMOS amplifier in 65nm CMOS , 2010, 2010 IEEE Asian Solid-State Circuits Conference.

[24]  D A Chan,et al.  A Compact W-Band CMOS Power Amplifier With Gain Boosting and Short-Circuited Stub Matching for High Power and High Efficiency Operation , 2011, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[25]  U.R. Pfeiffer,et al.  A 20 dBm Fully-Integrated 60 GHz SiGe Power Amplifier With Automatic Level Control , 2007, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[26]  S. P. Marsh.  MMIC power splitting and combining techniques , 1997 .

[27]  Kenichi Maruhashi,et al.  TX and RX Front-Ends for 60GHz Band in 90nm Standard Bulk CMOS , 2008, 2008 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference - Digest of Technical Papers.

[28]  Yan Zhao,et al.  A SiGe quadrature transmitter and receiver chipset for emerging high-frequency applications at 160GHz , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference - (ISSCC).

[29]  Lawrence Larson,et al.  A 11% PAE, 15.8-dBm two-stage 90-GHz stacked-FET power amplifier in 45-nm SOI CMOS , 2013, 2013 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (MTT).

[30]  Win Chaivipas,et al.  A 60-GHz 16QAM/8PSK/QPSK/BPSK Direct-Conversion Transceiver for IEEE802.15.3c , 2011, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[31]  S.J. Mahon,et al.  6.5 Watt, 35 GHz Balanced Power Amplifier MMIC using 6-Inch GaAs pHEMT Commercial Technology , 2008, 2008 IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Symposium.

[32]  Huei Wang,et al.  A 90-GHz power amplifier with 18-dBm output power and 26 GHz 3-dB bandwidth in standard RF 65-nm CMOS technology , 2013, 2013 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest (MTT).

[33]  John R. Long,et al.  A 58–65 GHz Neutralized CMOS Power Amplifier With PAE Above 10% at 1-V Supply , 2010, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[34]  Gabriel M. Rebeiz,et al.  A wideband high-efficiency 79–97 GHz SiGe linear power amplifier with ≫ 90 mW output , 2008, 2008 IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting.

[35]  Maryam Rofougaran,et al.  A fully integrated 22.6dBm mm-Wave PA in 40nm CMOS , 2013, 2013 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium (RFIC).

[36]  B. Gaucher,et al.  SiGe bipolar transceiver circuits operating at 60 GHz , 2005, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[37]  Kun-You Lin,et al.  A 68–83 GHz power amplifier in 90 nm CMOS , 2009, 2009 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[38]  Jenshan Lin,et al.  An 83-GHz High-Gain SiGe BiCMOS Power Amplifier Using Transmission-Line Current-Combining Technique , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[39]  J.F. Prairie,et al.  Ka-Band SiGe HBT Power Amplifier for Single-Chip T/R Module Applications , 2007, 2007 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium.

[40]  A. Hajimiri,et al.  A Wideband 77-GHz, 17.5-dBm Fully Integrated Power Amplifier in Silicon , 2006, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.