An 81 GHz, 470 mW, 1.1 mm2 InP HBT power amplifier with 4∶1 series power combining using sub-quarter-wavelength baluns

We report a two-stage W-band power amplifier (PA) using novel 4.1 series power-combining with sub-quarter-wavelength baluns. The power amplifier, fabricated in a 0.25 μm InP HBT technology, produces 470 mW (26.7 dBm) output power at 81 GHz, 23.4 % peak PAE, and >11.5 GHz 3-dB bandwidth. The compact series power-combining networks permit a small 1.06 mm2 die area and a high 443 mW/mm2 output power per unit die area.

[1]  Munkyo Seo,et al.  InP HBT IC Technology for Terahertz Frequencies: Fundamental Oscillators Up to 0.57 THz , 2011, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[2]  K.P. Weller,et al.  DC boosting effect of active bias circuits and its optimization for class-AB InGaP-GaAs HBT power amplifiers , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[3]  K. C. Hwang,et al.  W-band GaN power amplifier MMICs , 2011, 2011 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium.

[4]  David L. Harame,et al.  A 21-27GHz self-shielded 4-way power-combining PA balun , 2004, Proceedings of the IEEE 2004 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37571).

[5]  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.

[6]  Hyun-chul Park,et al.  30% PAE W-Band InP Power Amplifiers Using Sub-Quarter-Wavelength Baluns for Series-Connected Power-Combining , 2013, 2013 IEEE Compound Semiconductor Integrated Circuit Symposium (CSICS).

[7]  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).

[8]  A. Margomenos,et al.  92–96 GHz GaN power amplifiers , 2012, 2012 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[9]  Z. Griffith,et al.  Multi-finger 250nm InP HBTs for 220GHz mm-wave power , 2012, 2012 International Conference on Indium Phosphide and Related Materials.

[10]  M. Rodwell,et al.  112-GHz, 157-GHz, and 180-GHz InP HEMT traveling-wave amplifiers , 1998 .