A Multistage, Parallel-path Power Amplifier in Silicon Germanide Bipolar Technology for Mm-wave Wireless Applications

A Multistage, Parallel-path Power Amplifier in Silicon Germanide Bipolar Technology for Mm-wave Wireless Applications
Author: Tak Shun Dickson Cheung
Publisher:
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2007
Genre:
ISBN: 9780494394519

Wireless transmitters at mm-wave frequencies usually require costly III-V GaAs power amplifiers that must be packaged separately from mainstream silicon CMOS and BiCMOS circuits. This thesis studies the prospect of an integrable 3-stage power amplifier in a 100GHzfMAX 0.2microm SiGe HBT technology to facilitate cost-effective implementations of single-chip transceivers for 21--26GHz wireless applications. The amplifier utilizes an all common-base differential topology to maximize the power gain and extend the VCC supply to BVCEO of the transistors (1.8V). New on-chip components, such as interconnects with floating differential shields, self-shielding transformers and 4-way power combining/dividing baluns provide inter-stage coupling and single-ended interfaces at the input and output. On-chip ground isolation, low-inductance base interconnects and base ballast resistors are employed to ensure electrical and thermal stability. The current ratings of the on-chip passive components are designed to withstand the expected DC currents up to 110°C. The 2.45x2.45mm2 MMIC was mounted as a flip-chip and tested without a heatsink. It delivers 23dBm, 19.75% PAE at 22GHz, and 2ldBm, 13% PAE at 24GHz. The power gain is 19dB at a small-signal level and over 15dB at the maximum output power.

Millimeter-Wave Power Amplifiers

Millimeter-Wave Power Amplifiers
Author: Jaco du Preez
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 367
Release: 2017-10-05
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3319621661

This book provides a detailed review of millimeter-wave power amplifiers, discussing design issues and performance limitations commonly encountered in light of the latest research. Power amplifiers, which are able to provide high levels of output power and linearity while being easily integrated with surrounding circuitry, are a crucial component in wireless microwave systems. The book is divided into three parts, the first of which introduces readers to mm-wave wireless systems and power amplifiers. In turn, the second focuses on design principles and EDA concepts, while the third discusses future trends in power amplifier research. The book provides essential information on mm-wave power amplifier theory, as well as the implementation options and technologies involved in their effective design, equipping researchers, circuit designers and practicing engineers to design, model, analyze, test and implement high-performance, spectrally clean and energy-efficient mm-wave systems.

Millimeter-Wave GaN Power Amplifier Design

Millimeter-Wave GaN Power Amplifier Design
Author: Edmar Camargo
Publisher: Artech House
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2022-05-31
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 163081945X

This book gives you – in one comprehensive and practical resource -- everything you need to successfully design modern and sophisticated power amplifiers at mmWave frequencies. The book provides an in-depth treatment of the design methodology for MMIC power amplifiers, then brings you step by step through the various phases of design, from the selection of technology and preliminary architecture considerations, to the effective design of the matching circuits and conversion of electrical-to-electromagnetic models. Detailed figures and numerous practical applications are included to help you gain valuable insights into these technologies and learn to identify the best path to a successful design. You’ll be guided through a range of new mmWave power applications that show particular promise to support new 5G systems, while mastering the use of GaN technology that continues to dominate the power mmWave applications due to its high power, gain, and efficiency. This is a valuable resource for power amplifier design engineers, technicians, industry R&D staff, and anyone getting into the area of power MMICs who wants to learn how to design at mmWave frequencies.

mm-Wave Silicon Power Amplifiers and Transmitters

mm-Wave Silicon Power Amplifiers and Transmitters
Author: Hossein Hashemi
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 471
Release: 2016-04-04
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1316395367

Build high-performance, spectrally clean, energy-efficient mm-wave power amplifiers and transmitters with this cutting-edge guide to designing, modeling, analysing, implementing and testing new mm-wave systems. Suitable for students, researchers and practicing engineers, this self-contained guide provides in-depth coverage of state-of-the-art semiconductor devices and technologies, linear and nonlinear power amplifier technologies, efficient power combining systems, circuit concepts, system architectures and system-on-a-chip realizations. The world's foremost experts from industry and academia cover all aspects of the design process, from device technologies to system architectures. Accompanied by numerous case studies highlighting practical design techniques, tradeoffs and pitfalls, this is a superb resource for those working with high-frequency systems.

Linearization and Efficiency Enhancement Techniques for Silicon Power Amplifiers

Linearization and Efficiency Enhancement Techniques for Silicon Power Amplifiers
Author: Eric Kerhervé
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2015-01-07
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0124186815

This book provides an overview of current efficiency enhancement and linearization techniques for silicon power amplifier designs. It examines the latest state of the art technologies and design techniques to address challenges for RF cellular mobile, base stations, and RF and mmW WLAN applications. Coverage includes material on current silicon (CMOS, SiGe) RF and mmW power amplifier designs, focusing on advantages and disadvantages compared with traditional GaAs implementations. With this book you will learn: The principles of linearization and efficiency improvement techniques The architectures allowing the optimum design of multimode Si RF and mmW power amplifiers How to make designs more efficient by employing new design techniques such as linearization and efficiency improvement Layout considerations Examples of schematic, layout, simulation and measurement results Addresses the problems of high power generation, faithful construction of non-constant envelope constellations, and efficient and well control power radiation from integrated silicon chips Demonstrates how silicon technology can solve problems and trade-offs of power amplifier design, including price, size, complexity and efficiency Written and edited by the top contributors to the field

Design of Silicon Power Ampliers and Arrays for Millimeter Wave Applications

Design of Silicon Power Ampliers and Arrays for Millimeter Wave Applications
Author: Bassel Hanafi
Publisher:
Total Pages: 115
Release: 2014
Genre:
ISBN: 9781321451825

With emerging millimeter wave applications including automotive radars, wireless transmission of high-definition content, and possibly 5G mobile communications, low cost and high performance power amplifiers are key for enabling a commercial mass market. Silicon technologies offer cost advantages but typically suffer from low breakdown voltage and low Q passive elements yielding low power density and low efficiency. This thesis presents millimeter wave power amplifiers implemented in main stream silicon technologies. The task of obtaining large output power from low breakdown silicon devices is addressed by the use of stacking and power combining techniques. The design of a Q-band amplifier implemented in IBM 0.13um SiGe HBT process featuring on-chip corporate combining is first described. Stacking of bipolar transistors is introduced, together with novel low impedance biasing circuits to enable high breakdown voltage while extending the output swings. The fabricated amplifier delivered 24.7 dBm of maximum output power at 39 GHz, and 6.5% efficiency at 5.2 V without degradation. Alternatively, free-space combining can eliminate lossy on-chip combiners allowing for higher power and efficiency. A chip of 8 unit amplifiers implemented in 45nm CMOS SOI feeding a 2x2 array of differentially-fed patch antennas is demonstrated. With this chip, using CMOS stacking techniques, high output power (28 dBm) was achieved from a 3-stage amplifier operating at 45 GHz. When coupled to the antennas, the array provided an equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 40 dBm (10 W), and a larger system comprising 4 chips feeding a 2x8 array was shown to deliver an EIRP of 50 dBm (100 W) at 45 GHz, while demonstrating, for the first time, a total RF power of 33 dBm which is a record in silicon at this frequency. The estimated peak PAE for both arrays are 13.5% and 10.7%, respectively. Finally, power amplifiers implemented in SOI technology can suffer from severe self-heating. The thermal behavior of CMOS SOI PAs is evaluated using 3D thermal simulations, and the effects of the back-end interconnect as well as the layout on the overall thermal resistance are discussed. The models were verified against measurements for an individual FET using the output conductance method. For a stacked-FET PA fabricated in 45nm CMOS SOI, the models reveal an excessive temperature rise of 150C for the FETs at maximum power, hence simple ideas were proposed to improve the thermal resistance of SOI circuits, with limited impact on electrical performance.

Power-Combining Techniques for Millimeter-wave Silicon Power Amplifiers

Power-Combining Techniques for Millimeter-wave Silicon Power Amplifiers
Author: Jefy Alex Jayamon
Publisher:
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2017
Genre:
ISBN:

Emerging millimeter-wave applications, including high speed wireless communication using 5G standards, favor silicon technologies, both CMOS and SiGe, for transceiver design, due to the high level of integration at reduced cost and availability of high speed transistors. Efficient, linear and reliable high power amplifiers with broad bandwidth are needed at the transmitter front-ends to enable high data rate links at long distances. But the low breakdown voltage of CMOS FETs due to gate length scaling and other transistor non-idealities make the design of high power mm-wave amplifiers in deeply scaled CMOS nodes difficult. Circuit techniques like FET stacking provide a compact and efficient way of implementing high power mm-wave amplifiers reliably. Other power combining techniques such as on-chip and spatial power combining can be used along with FET stacking to achieve even higher output power levels. This thesis investigates the design of high power mm-wave power amplifiers at frequencies from 28 GHz to 94 GHz, using multiple power combining techniques. This work extends the use of FET stacking for high power PA design to 94 GHz. A 3-stack PA designed in 45 nm CMOS SOI with 17 dBm output power and 9% efficiency is presented. Using this PA as front-end, a CMOS PA-antenna array is designed, to additionally provide spatial power combining. The CMOS chip has a 2 x 4 array of pseudo-differential power amplifiers along with the signal distribution networks and pre-drivers. A quartz wafer with a 2 x 4 array of differential microstrip antennas deposited on it is placed on top of the CMOS chip, electromagnetically coupled to the PA outputs on the CMOS chip. The spatially power combined PA-antenna array achieved a measured equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 33 dBm and an estimated output power of 24 dBm at 94 GHz. Modulated data measurements at 3 Gbps (375 MS/s, 256 QAM) speed using digital pre-distortion are demonstrated with the PA-antenna array. A novel layout style is introduced for stacked FET design at low mm-wave frequencies. A small multi-finger FET is laid out with fingers connected in series to create the stacked FET. The gate capacitors are realized around the FET with the back-end-of-line metal available in the CMOS process. Multiple multigate cells are interconnected to implement the stacked FET PA. A PA designed in this style in 45 nm CMOS SOI process achieved 24.8 dBm of output power and 29% PAE at 28 GHz with high reliability. This PA is very broadband and linear as shown by the modulated data measurements achieving a data rate of 36 Gbps (6 GS/s, 64 QAM) at 14 dBm with 9.3% PAE, with no digital predistortion. NFETs and PFETs available in nano-scale CMOS processes are compared and it is shown that in deeply scaled processes, PMOS devices are a viable alternative to NFETs due to their cut-off frequencies similar to those of NFETs, and higher breakdown voltages than NFETs. The first exclusively PMOS mm-wave PA design is reported. This 3-stack PA, made in 32 nm CMOS SOI process, achieved a maximum output power of 19.6 dBm and maximum efficiency of 24% at 78 GHz. All the designs reported in this thesis achieved either the highest output power or the highest PAE for a CMOS PA at their respective frequencies.