A 110–134-GHz SiGe Amplifier With Peak Output Power of 100–120 mW

Author

Hsin-Chang Lin ; Rebeiz, Gabriel M.

Author_Institution

Electr. & Comput. Eng. Dept., Univ. of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

Volume

62

Issue

12

fYear

2014

fDate

Dec. 2014

Firstpage

2990

Lastpage

3000

Abstract

This paper presents a fully integrated eight-way power-combining amplifier for 110-134-GHz applications in an advanced 90-nm silicon-germanium HBT technology. The eight-way amplifier is implemented using four-stage common-emitter single-ended power amplifiers (PAs) as building blocks, and reactive λ/4 impedance transformation networks are used for power combining. The single-ended PA breakout has a small-signal gain of 20 dB at 116 GHz, and saturation output power ( Psat) of 12.5-13.8 dBm at 114-130 GHz. The eight-way power-combining PA achieves a small-signal gain of 15 dB at 116 GHz, and Psat of 20-20.8 dBm at 114-126 GHz with a power-added efficiency of 7.6%-6.3%. The eight-way amplifier occupies 4.95 mm² (including pads) and consumes a maximum current of 980 mA from a 1.6-V supply. To our knowledge, this is the highest power silicon-based D-band amplifier to date.

Keywords

Ge-Si alloys; millimetre wave power amplifiers; SiGe; building blocks; efficiency 7.6 percent to 6.3 percent; frequency 110 GHz to 134 GHz; fully integrated eight-way power-combining amplifier; gain 15 dB; gain 20 dB; power 100 mW to 120 mW; power silicon-based D-band amplifier; reactive λ-4 impedance transformation networks; single-ended PA breakout; size 90 nm; voltage 1.6 V; Gain; Impedance; Impedance matching; Metals; Power generation; Silicon germanium; Transistors; D-band; HBT; millimeter-wave (mmW) integrated circuits; power amplifier (PA); silicon–germanium (SiGe);

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TMTT.2014.2360679

Filename

6918553