High-Linearity 19-dB Power Amplifier for 140-220 GHz, Saturated at 15 dBm, in 130-nm SiGe

• Published in: IEEE microwave and wireless components letters 2020-04, Vol.30 (4), p.403-406
• Main Authors: Starke, Paul, Carta, Corrado, Ellinger, Frank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Balun; Baluns; Bandwidth; BiCMOS; Circuits; Communications systems; efficiency; Electric power distribution; Frequency measurement; Gain; Group delay; Linearity; Millimeter waves; mm-wave; power amplifier (PA); Power amplifiers; power combining; Power consumption; Power generation; SiGe; Silicon germanides; Silicon germanium; subterahertz; Ultrawideband; wideband
• ISSN: 1531-1309; 2771-957X; 1558-1764; 2771-9588
• DOI: 10.1109/LMWC.2020.2978397

This letter presents an integrated power amplifier (PA), with high linearity and efficiency, which uses a passive four-way power distribution network to increase the maximum output levels. The gain unit consists of a differential preamplifier and power stage, interfaced by passive baluns at the input and output. The circuit is intended for ultrawideband mm-wave communication systems operating around 180 GHz. It exhibits a gain of 19 dB, with low ripple and group delay variation, over a large bandwidth of 80 GHz. The 1-dB compression point and the saturated output power occur around 13 and 15 dBm, respectively. The maximum dc power consumption is 830 mW and results in a power-added efficiency of up to 3.5%. The final chip occupies an area of 0.92 mm 2 and is implemented in a 130-nm SiGe BiCMOS process, which offers a maximum oscillation frequency f_{\text {max}} of 450 GHz. To the best of authors' knowledge, this circuit demonstrates one of the largest bandwidths, in combination with the highest output power and best linearity, of any silicon-based PA operating above 200 GHz.