60 GHz 28 nm CMOS transformer-coupled power amplifier for WiGig applications

• Published in: Electronics letters Vol. 50; no. 20; pp. 1451 - 1453
• Main Authors: Leite, B, Kerhervé, E, Ghiotto, A, Larie, A, Martineau, B, Belot, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 25.09.2014; IET
• Subjects: balanced‐to‐unbalanced transformation purposes; capacitive neutralisation; CMOS analogue integrated circuits; CMOS transformer‐coupled power amplifier; Electromagnetism; Electronics; Engineering Sciences; frequency 60 GHz; impedance matching; integrated transformers; isolation enhancement; isolation technology; low‐power electronics; low‐power transistors; low‐voltage transistors; Microwave technology; millimetre wave power amplifiers; power combining; power splitting; size 28 nm; transformers; two‐stage pseudodifferential common‐source structure; WiGig applications; wireless LAN; transformers; power combining; low-voltage transistors; low-power transistors; capacitive neutralisation; impedance matching; CMOS transformer-coupled power amplifier; millimetre wave power amplifiers; balanced-to-unbalanced transformation purposes; size 28 nm; two-stage pseudodifferential common-source structure; power splitting; CMOS analogue integrated circuits; isolation enhancement; integrated transformers; wireless LAN; WiGig applications; low-power electronics; frequency 60 GHz; isolation technology; WiGig; 28 nm CMOS; millimeter-waves; power amplifier (PA)
• ISSN: 0013-5194; 1350-911X; 1350-911X
• DOI: 10.1049/el.2014.1979

A 60 GHz power amplifier (PA) based on a 28 nm CMOS technology is presented for WiGig applications. It consists of a two-stage pseudo-differential common-source structure using low-power and low-Vt transistors, capacitive neutralisation for isolation enhancement and integrated transformers for impedance matching, power splitting, power combining and balanced-to-unbalanced transformation purposes. The output-stage transistors have a measured 1 dB output compression point (OCP1 dB) of 10.2 dBm, a 10.2 dB gain and a peak power added efficiency (PAE) as high as 35%. The fabricated PA achieves a 12 dBm OCP1 dB, a 15.3 dB gain and a peak PAE better than 20% while occupying a silicon active area of only 0.037 mm2.