A Highly Linear and Efficient CMOS RF Power Amplifier With a 2-D Circuit Synthesis Technique

A 2-D circuit synthesis technique (2DCST) is introduced that simultaneously linearizes the AM-AM and AM-PM distortions of CMOS RF power amplifiers (PAs). A class-AB nMOS RF PA fabricated in a 0.18-μm CMOS process is reported. With a WCDMA signal, the amplifier achieved 41.6% power-added efficiency (PAE) with -33-dBc single-adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR1) and 38.5% PAE with -40-dBc ACPR1 at output powers of 24.9 and 24.0 dBm, respectively. This state-of-the-art linearity and efficiency performance is comparable to that of GaAs HBT linear RF PAs. The 2DCST is applicable to a broad range of analog circuits and other semiconductor technologies.