A High-Efficiency, Broadband CMOS Power Amplifier for Cognitive Radio Applications

Author

Huang, Pin-Cheng ; Tsai, Zuo-Min ; Lin, Kun-You ; Wang, Huei

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., Nat. Taiwan Univ., Taipei, Taiwan

Volume

58

Issue

12

fYear

2010

Firstpage

3556

Lastpage

3565

Abstract

This paper presents a wideband power amplifier (PA) for the application of intelligent cognitive radios. Resistive feedback and transformer matching network are proposed in this PA design to enhance the broadband frequency response. The broadband load impedance match is realized using series stack topology. The limitation of stack PA in both GaAs and CMOS processes are discussed. A high-efficiency broadband PA in commercial 0.18 μm CMOS process with the best P_1dB of 20 dBm and PAE of 30% are demonstrated to verify the design concepts. This PA also shows the widest fractional bandwidth performance among CMOS PAs below 10 GHz.

Keywords

cognitive radio; impedance matching; power amplifiers; transformers; broadband frequency response; broadband load impedance match; cognitive radio application; high efficiency broadband CMOS power amplifier; high-efficiency broadband PA; intelligent cognitive radios; resistive feedback; series stack topology; transformer matching network; wideband power amplifier; widest fractional bandwidth performance; Broadband communication; CMOS integrated circuits; Couplings; Impedance; Impedance matching; Power generation; Topology; CMOS; cognitive radio (CR); monolithic micro wave integrated circuit (MMIC); stack PA; stacked amplifier; wideband power amplifiers (PAs);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TMTT.2010.2086351

Filename

5613966