Design and Analysis of a 55-71-GHz Compact and Broadband Distributed Active Transformer Power Amplifier in 90-nm CMOS Process

• Published in: IEEE transactions on microwave theory and techniques Vol. 57; no. 7; pp. 1637 - 1646
• Main Authors: JEN, Yung-Nien, TSAI, Jeng-Han, HUANG, Tian-Wei, WANG, Huei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.07.2009; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Amplifiers; Applied sciences; Broadband amplifiers; Circuit faults; Circuit properties; CMOS; CMOS process; CMOS technology; Design engineering; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; distributed active transformer (DAT); Distributed amplifiers; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Gain; gain boosting; Impedance; Integrated circuits; Microwave circuits, microwave integrated circuits, microwave transmission lines, submillimeter wave circuits; Microwaves; MMICs; Noise levels; power amplifier (PA); Power amplifiers; Power generation; Radiofrequency amplifiers; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Signal convertors; Transformers; V -band; Electric transformer; Wireless LAN; Impedance converter; Small signal behavior; Wireless telecommunication; Microwave; gain boosting; Implementation; Microwave integrated circuits; Millimetric wave; CMOS; Wide band; Complementary MOS technology; CMOS integrated circuits; Monolithic integrated circuit; Learning algorithm; MMIC; Mobile radiocommunication; Microwave power amplifiers; V-band; power amplifier (PA); Compact design; Power electronics; Combiner circuit; Radiofrequency integrated circuits; Power amplifier; Impedance; Personal communication networks; distributed active transformer (DAT); Gain
• ISSN: 0018-9480; 1557-9670
• DOI: 10.1109/TMTT.2009.2021876

A 55-71-GHz fully integrated power amplifier (PA) using a distributed active transformer (DAT) is implemented in 90-nm RF/MS CMOS technology. The DAT combiner, featuring efficient power combination and direct impedance transformation, is suitable for millimeter-wave (MMW) PA design. Systematic design procedures including an impedance allocation plan, a compensation line, and a gain boosting technique are presented for the MMW DAT PA. The monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) performs a high and flat small-signal gain of 26 plusmn1.5 dB from 55 to 71 GHz, which covers a full band for 60-GHz wireless personal area network applications. Using cascode devices and a DAT four-way power combination, the CMOS PA delivers 14.5- and 18-dBm saturated output power with 10.2% and 12.2% power-added efficiency under 1.8- and 3-V supply voltage, respectively, at 60 GHz. The maximum linear output power (P 1 dB ) is 14.5 dBm. To the best of our knowledge, the MMIC is the first demonstration of a V -band CMOS PA using a DAT combining scheme with highest linear output power among the reported 60-GHz CMOS PAs to date.