Title :
A Transformer-Coupling Current-Reuse SiGe HBT Power Amplifier for 77-GHz Automotive Radar
Author :
Giammello, Vittorio ; Ragonese, Egidio ; Palmisano, Giuseppe
Author_Institution :
Dipt. di Ing. Elettr., Elettron. e dei Sist., Univ. di Catania, Catania, Italy
fDate :
6/1/2012 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
This paper presents a pseudodifferential power amplifier for 77-GHz automotive radar. The circuit is fabricated in a SiGe HBT BiCMOS technology featuring bipolar transistors with fT/fmax of 230/280 GHz. The amplifier adopts a transformer-coupling current-reuse approach to improve both gain and efficiency. An interstacked transformer is also profitably adopted to reduce output losses due to the differential-to-single-ended conversion. The amplifier exhibits a saturated power, a peak power-added efficiency, and a gain of 14.5 dBm, 9%, and 25 dB, respectively, thus achieving a first-rate figure-of-merit as high as 4755.
Keywords :
BiCMOS integrated circuits; Ge-Si alloys; bipolar MIMIC; heterojunction bipolar transistors; millimetre wave bipolar transistors; millimetre wave power amplifiers; road vehicle radar; SiGe; SiGe HBT BiCMOS technology; SiGe HBT power amplifier; automotive radar; bipolar transistors; differential-to-single-ended conversion; frequency 77 GHz; interstacked transformer; pseudodifferential power amplifier; transformer-coupling current-reuse; Coils; Couplings; Inductance; Metals; Spirals; Transistors; Windings; BiCMOS integrated circuits (ICs); current-reuse; electromagnetic (EM) simulations; millimeter-wave (mm-wave) circuits; power amplifier (PA); transformers;
Journal_Title :
Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TMTT.2012.2189243
